! LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. | 



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BENEFICIUM cheisti. 



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OR, 



THE GLORIOUS RICHES OP GOD'S FREE GRACE, WHICH 

EVERY TRUE BELIEVER RECEIVES BY JESUS 

CHRIST, AND HLM CRUCIFIED. 

Originally written in Italian, and attributed to 

AONIO PALEARIO; 

NOW REPRINTED FROM AN ANCIENT ENGLISH TRANSLATION. 



3ui Historical Siutcfe of % gook 




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PRESBYTERIAN PUBLICATION COMMITTEE, 

1331 CHESTNUT STREET. 
NEW YORK: A. D. F. RANDOLPH, 683 BROADWAY. 



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in trust for the 

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tutorial $MM 



BOOK AND ITS WRITER. 



More than three centuries ago, a little treat- 
ise, entitled "The Benefit of Christ's 
Death," appeared in Italy. Emanating from 
presses in Venice, in Stuttgard, in Lyons, it 
swiftly found its way into the hands of the 
readers of Europe. In Tuscan, in Italian, in 
French, in Grerman, in Croatian versions, it was 
eagerly read and widely circulated. Forty 
thousand copies of it were within a few years 
uttering its voices and bearing to multitudes its 
warm illustrations of "the glorious riches of 
God's free grace, which every true believer 
receives by Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 
Rich in evangelical theology, fervid in ex- 
pression, loving in application, it is not strange 
that it thus won its way to the hearts of 
God's hidden ones in papal lands, as well as 
to the embrace of many others in realms in 



historical 5>fcctcf). 



which the Reformation was giving the word of 
the true G-ospel to the people. 

The little book was too true to Christ and 
his cross to escape the ban of Rome. It was 
condemned by the Inquisition. Under their 
curses and threats it sank from sight, as a stream 
in Eastern lands sinks amid burning sands before 
the sun. "The Benefit of Christ's Death" dis- 
appeared. Its forty thousand copies were 
sought out in their thousand homes and de- 
stroyed. So utterly was it rooted out that, in 
1840, Macaulay said of it, (in the Edinburgh 
Review,) " The Inquisitors proscribed it; and 
it is now as utterly lost as the second decade 
of Livy." 

But Macaulay was mistaken. The stream 
that had disappeared before the fires of In- 
quisitorial hatred was not totally lost. It still 
lived, though unseen. Many a soul had drank 
at it and been refreshed and it had become 
within him a well of living water. And, be- 
sides this, after three centuries, beneath the arid 
sands the stream still survived, and now it rises 
again to the upper air, sparkling in the sunlight 
and offering refreshment to the thirsty soul. 

Dr. McCrie, the Scotch historian, had learned 
from the will of one Thomas Bassinden, printer 



Hstortcai Sfcetci). 



in Edinburgh, who died in 1577, that an 
English version of this treatise must have 
existed previous to the death of Bassinden. 
This statement induced the Rev. John Ayre, 
of England, to search for a volume which he 
thought might still survive in the English 
language. In 1843 or 1844 he succeeded in 
discovering it, and in 1847 reprinted it, stating 
in the Introduction that no copy of the original 
Italian work was known to exist. This repub- 
lication awakened a new interest in the subject, 
and led to the discovery by antiquaries of 
three copies in Italian, of one in French, one 
in German, and of a copy of the Croatic ver- 
sion, as well as of several English copies. 

It was found that there was in existence also 
a manuscript English translation of the book, 
in the library of Cambridge University. This 
version was made from the Italian by Edward 
Courtenay, the twelfth Earl of Devonshire, in 
1558, whilst lying a prisoner in the Tower. Its 
interest is increased by the fact that King 
Edward the Sixth, of England, had evidently 
read, and in two places had written in it. 

The English translation, which has been 
republished in Great Britain, was made from 
the French version, and printed at London in 



^tstortcal ioketcf). 



1573. An Italian version has also been 
reissued at Pisa and at Florence, thus giving 
it again to the land of its birth. In German, 
Dutch, Danish, and French, it has likewise 
renewed its race; and it is now given also to 
the American public. The lost stream will 
soon flow broader and deeper than ever. 

But who was the author of this book? It 
bears the name of no writer. To proclaim the 
precious truth of salvation by Christ's death 
alone was too dangerous a deed in Italy three 
centuries since to make Evangelical authors 
anxious to be known. They wrote for Christ, 
not for fame. Yet there cau be scarce a doubt 
that the author of the "Benefit of Christ's 
Death" was an Italian scholar and professor, 
Antonio dalla Paglia, or, as he ordinarily 
called himself and is called by others, Aoxio 
Paleario. 

Born in the Campagna di Roma, at Veroli, 
about the year 1503, studying at Rome under 
the most eminent masters, he soon took rank 
with the learned of that city. In 1530 he 
went to Perugia, in the Romagna, and thence to 
Sienna, a city of Tuscany, where, in 1538, he 
married. He here taught the learned languages, 
whilst diligently studying the Scriptures and 



Kstoctcal joketcl). 



the works of the writers of the Kefonnation. 
The light that arose within him shone out, and 
the brand of heresy was soon fixed upon him 
by the bigots of the Italian Church. In 1542 he 
was brought before the Senate of Sienna, but 
for the time escaped the penalty of his heresy. 
One Otho Melius Cotta was his most deter- 
mined enemy; and with this person three 
hundred leagued themselves in a resolution to 
destroy Paleario. In order to insure his con- 
demnation, twelve of these were selected to bear 
witness against him. He had, in consequence, 
to defend himself before the Senate of Sienna, 
which he did with so much spirit that for the 
moment his defence was successful. "There 
are some" said he, "so censorious as to he dis- 
pleased when we give the highest praise to the 
author and God of our salvation, Christ, the 
King of all nations and people. For writing 
in the Tuscan language to show what great 
benefits accrue to mankind from his death, a 
criminal accusation has been made against me. 
Is it possible to utter or conceive any thing more 
shameful ? I said that, since He in whom Di- 
vinity resided has poured out his life's blood so 
lovingly for our salvation, we ought not to doubt 
the good will of Heaven, but may promise our- 



Itstoncal jofcctclj. 



selves the greatest tranquillity and peace. I 
affirmed, agreeably to the most unquestionable 
monuments of antiquity, that those who turn 
with their souls to Christ crucified, commit 
themselves to him by faith, acquiesce in the 
promises, and cleave with assured faith to him 
who cannot deceive, are delivered from all evil, 
and enjoy a full pardon of all their sins. These 
things appeared so grievous, so detestable, so 
execrable, to the twelve, I cannot call them men, 
but inhuman beasts, that they judged that the 
author should be committed to the flames. If 
I must undergo this punishment for the afore- 
said testimony, then, senators, nothing more 
happy can befall me. In such times as these 
I do not think a Christian ought to die in his 
bed. To be accused, to be dragged to prison, 
to be scourged, to be hung up by the neck, to 
be sewed up in a sack, to be exposed to wild 
beasts, is little : let me be roasted before a fire, 
provided only the truth be brought to light by 
such a death. " 

In 1546 he was invited to Lucca, whence, 
after ten years' services, he removed to Milan, 
at the invitation of its Senate, to take the post 
of Professor of Eloquence. Here the blood- 
hounds who had dogged his steps for years 



► tstoncal glutei). 



secured their prey. Paleario was seized by the 
Inquisitor Angelo di Cremona, about 1568, 
conveyed to Rome, and committed a close pri- 
soner to the Torre di Nona. 

The charges against him were disposed under 
the following four heads : — That he denied pur- 
gatory; that he disapproved of the burial of 
the dead in churches, and preferred the an- 
cient Roman mode of sepulture without the 
walls of cities j that he ridiculed the monastic 
life; and, lastly, that he ascribed justification 
solely to faith in the mercy of Grod forgiving 
our sins through Jesus Christ. In his exami- 
nations he appears to have manifested great 
firmness. When questioned by the cardinals 
of the Inquisition, he addressed them, (it is 
an enemy* who reports his words:) "Seeing 
that your eminences have so many credible wit- 
nesses against me, it is unnecessary for you to 
giv£ yourselves or me longer trouble. I am 
resolved to act according to the advice of the 
blessed Apostle Peter, when he says, 'Christ 
suffered for us, leaving us an example that we 
should follow his steps; who did no evil, 
neither was guile found in his mouth; who, 

* Ladercbms, the continuator of the Annals of Baronius. See 
Annales Eccles. Rom. 1733, torn, xxiii. p. 25. 



10 ffitstottcal iofcetci). 

when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he 
suffered he threatened not, but committed him- 
self to him that judgeth righteously/ Proceed, 
then, to give judgment : pronounce sentence on 
Aonio, and thus gratify his adversaries and 
fulfil your office." Judgment was given; and 
he was condemned, after a lengthened imprison- 
ment, to be suspended on a gibbet, and his 
body to be committed to the flames; though, 
more probably, he was burned alive. 

The Romanists, according to their frequent 
practice in such cases, pretended that Aonio 
was repentant and died in the communion of 
their church. But this assertion is refuted by 
an author, Laderchius, who drew his materials 
from the records of the Inquisition, and who 
says, "When it appeared that this son of 
Belial was obstinate and refractory, and could 
by no means be recovered from the darkness 
of error to the light of truth, he was deservedly 
delivered to the fire, that, after suffering its 
momentary pains here, he might be found in 
everlasting flames hereafter/'* Indeed, the 
last letters which Paleario wrote to his family 
on the morning of his death show the falsity 
of the pretended recantation. They would, we 

* Annates Eccles. Rom. 1733, torn, xxiii. p. 204. 



^tstortcal ^ketcf). 11 

may readily conclude, have expressed his con- 
trition, had he felt any, for opposing the popish 
doctrines. Thus does the old man write from 
his dungeon in the face of a cruel death : — 

" My dearest Wife : — I would not wish that 
you should receive sorrow from my pleasure, 
nor ill from my good. The hour is now come 
when I must pass from this life to my Lord 
and Father and G-od. I depart as joyfully as 
if I were going to the nuptials of the Son of 
the great King, which I have always prayed 
my Lord to grant me through his goodness and 
infinite mercy. Wherefore, my dearest wife, 
comfort yourself with the will of G-od and with 
my resignation, and attend to the desponding 
family which still survives, training them up 
and preserving them in the fear of God, and 
being to them both father and mother. I am 
now an old man of seventy years, and useless. 
Our children must provide for themselves by 
their virtue and industry, and lead an honor- 
able life. God the Father, and our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, 
be with your spirit ! Thy husband, 

"Aonio Paleario. 

" Rome, July 3, 1570." 



12 ^tstoncal glutei). 



Thus gladly did he meet death, and, giving 
himself up to his tormentors, entered into his 
eternal rest. 

The present volume contains a faithful re- 
print of the first English edition of the Trattato, 
dated 1573. This translation was made, not 
from the Italian original, but from the French 
version ; and it would appear, from the trans- 
lator's preface, that he was quite ignorant of 
the name of the author. His own initials 
(A. G.) only are given; but it may be supposed 
that these letters designate Arthur Golding/who 
was long and laboriously employed, in Queen 
Elizabeth's reign, in rendering into English 
the works of several of the foreign Reformers, 
of the Latin classics, and of other writers. The 
spelling (including that of proper names) and 
the punctuation have been modernized ; but 
no liberty has been taken with the text except 
in cases where there was manifest error. The 
Scripture references have been corrected, and 
the verses of the chapters added. 



THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK.* 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

Of original sin, and man's wretchedness 15 



CHAPTER II. 

How the law was given by God, to the end that 
we, knowing our sin, and not having any hope 
of ability to make ourselves righteous by our 
own works, should have recourse to God's 
mercy, and unto the righteousness of faith 19 

CHAPTER III. 

How the forgiveness of our sins, justification, 
and salvation, depend only on Jesus Christ 23 

CHAPTER IV. 

Of the effects of lively faith, and of the union 
of man's soul with Christ 37 

* This table of contents is not in the edition of 1573 : it is here 
introduced from that of 1638. 

2 13 



14 Contents. 

CHAPTER V. 

PAGE 

In what wise the Christian is clothed with Je- 
sus Christ 77 

CHAPTER VI. 
Certain remedies against distrust 88 



BENEFIT THAT CHRISTIANS RECEIVE 



JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED. 



THE FIRST CHAPTER. 

OF ORIGINAL SIN, AND OF MAN'S WRETCHEDNESS. 

The holy Scripture saith that G-od The state 

. . of man be- 

created man after his own image and fore and af- 

. ter that he 

likeness,* making him, as in respect had sinned. 
of his body, impassible,")" and, as touching his 
soul, righteous, true, good, merciful, and holy. 
But, after that he, being overcome with desire 
of knowledge, had eaten of the apple that God 
had forbidden him, he lost the said image and 
likeness of Grod, and became like the brute 
beasts, and like the devil who had abused him. 
For as touching his soul, he became unright- 

* [Gen. i.] f Impassible : free from suffering. 



16 Balearic. 

eous, untrue, cruel, pitiless, and the enemy 
of God; and, as touching his body, he became 
passible,* and subject to a thousand inconve- 
niences and diseases, and not only like, but 
also inferior to brute beasts. And even as, if 
our forefathers had obeyed God, they should 
have left us their righteousness and holiness as 
an heritage ; even so, by being disobedient unto 
God, they have left us the inheritance of un- 
righteousness, wickedness, and God's displea- 
sure, in such sort as it is unpossible for us 
(through our own strength) to love God, or to 
frame ourselves unto his holy will. Nay, we be 
enemies unto him, as to one that must punish 
our sins, because he is a just judge; and there- 
fore can we not any more trust wholly to his 
holy mercy. To be short, our whole nature 
was corrupted by Adam's sin. And, like as 
erstf it had superiority above all creatures, so 
became it an underling to all, the bond-slave 
of Satan, sin, and death, and condemned to the 
miseries of hell. Also he lost his judgment alto- 
gether, and began to say that good was evil, 
and evil good; esteeming false things to be true, 
and true things to be false. Which thing the 
prophet considering saith that "all men are 

* Passible : subject to suffering. f Erst : originally. 



liars/'* and that " there is not one that doth 
good;"f because the devil, like a stout man of 
arms, ruleth his own palace, that is to wit, the 
world, whereof he became the prince and lord. 
There is no tongue that can express the thou- 
sandth part of our misery, in that we, being 
created by God's own hand, have lost the said 
image of God, and are become like the devil, 
and too like to him in nature and condition, 
willing whatsoever he willeth, and likewise re- 
fusing whatsoever he misliketh. By reason 
whereof, being given up for a prey to that 
wicked spirit, there is no sin so grievous which 
every one of us would not be ready to do, if the 
grace of God stay us not. And this our depri- 
vation of righteousness, and this for- original 
ward inclination to all unrighteous- sin ' 
ness and naughtiness, is called original sin ; the 
which we bring with us from out of our mother's 
womb, so as we be born the children of wrath ; 
and it hath had his first spring from our first 
fathers, and is the cause and fountain of all the 
vices and iniquities that we commit; where- 
from if we will be delivered, and return again 
to our first innocency, to recover the image of 
God, first of all it standeth us on hand to know 



18 Balearic 

a very our own wretchedness. For, like as 

good com- m 

parison. no man will ever seek to the physi- 
cian, except he know himself to be diseased, or 
acknowledge the excellency of the physician, 
and how much he is bound unto him, except 
he know his own disease to be pestilent and 
deadly; even so no man acknowledgeth Jesus 
Christ the only Physician of our souls, except 
he first know his own soul to be diseased : neither 
can he perceive the excellency of him, nor how 
much he is bound unto him, except he first enter 
into the knowledge of his own outrageous sins, 
and of the incurable infirmity, which we have 
received through the infection of our first 
fathers. 



I a lea r to. 19 



THE SECOND CHAPTER. 

HOW THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY GOD, TO THE END THAT 
WE, KNOWING OUR SIN, AND HAVING NOT ANY HOPE 
OF ABILITY TO MAKE OURSELVES RIGHTEOUS BY OUR 
OWN WORKS, SHOULD HAVE RECOURSE TO GOD'g 
MERCY, AND UNTO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH. 

Our God, therefore, minding of his infinite 
goodness and mercy to send his only Son to set 
free the wretched children of Adam, and know- 
ing that first of all it behoved him to make 
them understand their own misery, chose Abra- 
ham (in whose seed he promised to bless all 
nations), and accepted his offspring for his 
peculiar people, unto whom (after their de- 
parture out of Egypt, and deliverance from the 
bondage of Pharaoh) he, by the means of Moses, 
gave the law; which forbiddeth all lusting, and 
commandeth us to love Glod with all our heart, 
with all our soul, and with all our strength, in 
such wise as our whole trust be reposed in him, 
and we ready to leave our life for his sake, to 
suffer all torments in our members, and to be 



20 ¥aUarto. 

bereft of all our goods, dignities and honours, 
for the love of our God, choosing to die rather 
than to do any thing that may mislike him, be 
it never so little, and doing all things in that 
behalf with a merry heart, and with all forward- 
ness and cheerfulness. Moreover, the 

Who is \ 

our neigh- law commandeth us to love our neigh- 
bour. '11 -l 

bour as ourself, meaning by the neigh- 
bour all manner of men, as well friends as foesj 
and it willeth us to do to every man as we would 
be done unto, and to love other men's cases 
as our own. And so, by looking in this holy 
law, as in a clear looking-glass, man doth out 
of hand espy his own great imperfection and 
unableness to obey God's commandments, and 
to render him the honour and love which he 
The first ought to yield to his Maker. The 
duty of first office of the law, then, is to 
t e aw. ma k e s i n known ;* as St. Paul affirni- 
eth. And in another place he saith, "I had 

not known what sin is but by the 

The second ^ 

office of law/'t The second office of the law 

the law. . ... 

is to make sin increase; forasmuch 
as we, being quite gone from the obeying of 
God, aud become bond-slaves to the devil, being 
full of wicked works and inordinate affections, 



Valearto. 21 

cannot abide that Grod should forbid us to lust, 
which increaseth so much the more as it is the 
more prohibited; by reason whereof St. Paul 
saith that sin was dead, but the law came and 
raised it up again, and so it became out of 
measure great. The third office of __.„.,, 

P The third 

the law is to show the wrath and office of 

the law. 

judgment of God, who threateneth 
death and everlasting punishment to such as 
keep not the law throughout in all points. 
For the holy Scripture saith, " Cursed is he 
that performeth not throughly all the things 
that are written in the book of the law/'* 
And, therefore, St. Paul saith that the law is 
a ministry [of death], f and that it bringeth 
forth wrath. J The law, then, having discovered 
sin, and increased it, and showed forth the 
wrath and indignation of Grod, who threateneth 
death, executeth his fourth office, 

. . ' The fourth 

which is to put a man in fear ; who office of 
thereupon falleth into sorrowfulness, 
and would fain satisfy the law ; but, forasmuch 
as he seeth clearly that he is not able, he 
waxeth angry against Grod, and would with all 
his heart that there were no Grod, because he 
feareth to be sore chastised and punished by 

* Deut. xxvii. 26. f 2 Cor. iii. 7. % Rom. iv. 15. 



22 ftalcano. 

him; according as St. Paul saith, that "the 
wisdom of the flesh is the enemy of God; 
because it neither is, nor can be subject to the 
law of God."* The fifth office of the law (which 
is the principal end, and the most 

The fifth , «. . n • 

office of excellent and necessary office of it) is 

the law. . J J 

to constrain a man to go unto J esus 
Christ; in like wise as the Hebrews, being 
dismayed, were constrained to appeal unto Moses, 
saying, " Let not the Lord speak unto us, lest 
we die j but speak thou unto us, and we will 
obey thee in all things." And the Lord an- 
swered, " Verily they have spoken exceeding 
well/'f Yea, they were not praised for any 
other thing than for their desiring of a mediator 
betwixt God and them, which was Moses, who 
represented Jesus Christ, that should be the 
Advocate and Mediator between God and man. 
In respect whereof, God said unto Moses, "I 
will raise up a Prophet among their brethren 
like unto thee, and I will put my word in his 
mouth ; and he shall speak unto them all the 
things that I shall command him ; and I will 
punish all those that will not obey my word, 
which he shall speak in my nanie."£ 

[* Rom. viii. 7. ] f Exod. xx. 19. [Deut. v. 28. ] 

ft Deut. xviii. 17, 18, 19.] 



»aleano. 23 



THE THIRD CHAPTER. 

HOW THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS, OUR JUSTIFI- 
CATION, AND OUR SALVATION, DEPEND UPON JESUS 
CHRIST. 

When as our God then had sent the said 
great Prophet which he had promised us (who 
is his only Son), to the end that he should set 
us free from the curse of the law, and reconcile 
us unto our G-od; that he should make our 
will fit for good works, healing our free-will, 
and repairing in us the foresaid image of G-od* 
which we had lost through the fault of our 
first parents ; forasmuch as we know that " un- 
der heaven there is none other name given unto 
men whereby we may be saved," f but the name 
of Jesus Christ, let us run unto him with 
the feet of lively faith, and cast ourselves be- 
tween his arms; sithj he allureth us so gra- 
ciously, crying, "Come unto me, all you that 
labour and are heavy-loaden ; and I will refresh 

* Col. ill. 10. f Acts iv. 12. 

[X Sith: since.] 



24 flaleario. 

you:"* what comfort or what joy in this life 
can be comparable to this his saying there? 
when as a man, feeling himself oppressed with 
the intolerable weight of his sins, understandeth 
so sweet and amiable words of the Son of God, 
who promiseth so graciously to refresh and rid 
him of his great pains? But all the matter 
lieth in acknowledging our own weakness and 
misery in good earnest. For he shall never 
know what is sweet, who hath not tasted of the 
sour. And therefore Jesus Christ saith, " If 
any man thirst, let him come to me, and 
drink ;"f as if he had meant to say, If a man 
know not himself to be a sinner, nor thirst after 
righteousness, he cannot taste of the sweetness 
of Jesus Christ; how sweet it is to talk of 
him, to think of him, and to follow his most 
holy life. But, when we once throughly know 
our own infirmity by mean of the law, let us 
hearken to St. John Baptist, who pointeth us 
to the Sovereign Physician with his finger, 
saying, "Behold the Lamb of Grod, which taketh 
away the sins of the world." J For he it is that 
delivereth us from the heavy yoke of the law, 
abrogating and disannulling the curses and 

* Matt. xi. 28. f John vii. 37. 

X John i. 29. 



JJaiearto- 25 

sharp threatening^ of the same,* healing all 
our infirmities, reforming our free-will, return- 
ing us to our ancient innocency, and repairing 
in us the image of our G-od; insomuch that 
(according to St. Paul's saying), "like as by 
Adam we be all dead, so by Jesus Christ we 
are all quickened."f And it is not to be be- 
lieved that the sin of Adam, which we have by 
inheritance from him, should be of more force 
than the righteousness of Christ, the which* 
also we inherit by faith. It seemeth that man 
hath great cause to complain, that (without 
any reason why) he is conceived and born in 
sin, J and in the wickedness of his parents, by 
means of whom death reign eth over all men. 
But now is all our sorrow taken away; inas- 
much as by a like mean (without any occasion 
given on our behalf) righteousness and ever- 
lasting life are come by Jesus Christ, and by 
him death is slain ; whereof St. Paul maketh a 
very goodly discourse, which I purpose to set 
down here following. "Wherefore (saith he), 
like as by one man sin entered into the world, 
and death by sin, even so death went over all 
men ; forasmuch as all men have sinned. For 

* Gal. iii. 13. f 11 Cor. xv. 22. 

X Psal. li. 5. 



26 flaleatto. 

until the law sin was in the world ; but sin 
was not regarded as long as there was no law. 
Neverthelater death reigned from Adam unto 
Moses, even over them also that sinned not 
after the like manner of the transgression of 
Adam, who was a figure of him that was to 
come. But yet the gift is not so as is the 
offence; for, if through the offence of one many 
be dead, much more the grace of God, and the 
gift by grace which is by one man Jesus 
Christ, hath abounded unto many. Neither 
is the gift so as that which entered in by one 
that sinned. For the fault came of one offence 
unto condemnation ; but the gift is of many 
offences to justification. For, if by the offence 
of one death reigned through one, much more 
shall they which receive the abundance of 
grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in 
life through one, that is, Jesus Christ. Like- 
wise, then, as by the offence of one the fault 
came on all men to condemnation, so by the 
righteousness of one the benefit abounded to- 
ward all men to the justification of life. For, 
as by one man's disobedience many were made 
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many 
also be made righteous. Moreover the law en- 
tered thereupon, that the offence should abound; 



Paleario. 27 

nevertheless, where sin abounded, there grace 
abounded much more ; that, as sin had reigned 
unto death, so might grace also reign by right- 
eousness unto eternal life, though Jesus Christ 
our Lord."* 

By these words of St. Paul, we manifestly 
perceive the thing to be true, which we have 
said heretofore: that is to wit, that the law was 
given to make sin known; which sin we do also 
know not to be of greater force than Christ's 
righteousness, where-through we be justified be- 
fore God. For, even as Jesus Christ is stronger 
than Adam was, so is his righteousness more 
mighty than the sin of Adam. And, if the 
sin of Adam was sufficient enough to make all 
men sinners and children of wrath, without any 
misdeed of our own, much more shall Christ's 
righteousness be of greater force to make us 
all righteous, and the children of grace, with- 
out any of our own good works ; which cannot 
be good, unless that, before we do them, we our- 
selves be made good; as Austin also afnrmeth.f 

* Rom. v. 12-21. 

[f There are so many passages in the 'writings of Augustine in 
which this truth is taught, that it is difficult to decide, as no spe- 
cial reference is here given, which the author intended to quote. 
The following will sufficiently bear out his assertion. Quid enim 
boni operatur perditus, nisi cruantum fuerit a perditione libe- 
ratus? . . . Unde ad juste faciendum liber non erit, nisi a peo 



28 JJaleatio. 

The great- Hereby a man may know in what an 

ness of sin , , _ 

ought not error they be, who, by reason ol some 
despair. great offence, despair of God's good- 
will, imagining that he is not willing to forgive, 
cover, and pardon all sin, having already pun- 
ished and chastised all our sins and iniquities 
in his own only-begotten and dear-beloved Son, 
and consequently granted a general pardon to all 
mankind; which every body enjoyeth that be- 
lieveth the gospel, that is to say, which believeth 
the happy tidings that the apostles have pub- 
lished through the whole world, saying, "We 
beseech you for Jesus Christ's sake, Be ye re- 
conciled unto God ; for he that never knew sin 
was made a sacrifice for our sin, that we might 
become righteous in him."* The prophet 
Esay, foreseeing this great goodness of God, 
writeth these heavenly words, which do so well 
paint out the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the cause thereof, as it is not to be found 

cato liberatus esse justitise coeperit servus. — August. Op. Par. 1679- 
1700. Encliir. de Fid. Spe et Car. cap. xxx. 9, torn. vi. col. 207. Se- 
quunturenim [opera] justificatum, nonprasceduntjustificandutn. — 
Id. Lib. de Fid. et Oper. cap. xiv. 21, torn. vi. col. 177. Nam 
quia legitime utitur lege nisi Justus ? At ei non est posita, sed in- 
justo. An et injustus, ut justificetur, id est, ut Justus fiat, legitime 
lege uti debet, qua tamquam psedagogo pcrducatur ad gratiam 
per quam solam quod lex jubet possit implore? — Id. Lib. do Spir. 
et Lit. cap. x. 16, torn. x. col. 93.] 
* 2 Cor. v. 20, 21. 



flaieatto. 29 

better described, even in the writings of the 
apostles. "Who (saith he) will believe our 
report ? and to whom is the arm of the Lord 
revealed ? But he shall grow up before him as 
a branch and as a root out of a dry ground : he 
hath neither form nor beauty : when we shall 
see him, there shall be no form that we should 
desire him. He is despised and rejected of 
men : he is a man full of sorrows, and hath ex- 
perience of infirmities : we hid as it were our 
faces from him: he was despised; and we es- 
teemed him not. Surely he hath borne our in- 
firmities and carried our sorrows; yet we did 
judge him as plagued and smitten of God, and 
humbled; but he was wounded for our trans- 
gressions : he was broken for our iniquities. 
The chastisement of our peace was upon him; 
and with his stripes we are healed. All we like 
sheep have gone astray : we have turned every 
one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid 
upon him the iniquity of us all : he was op- 
pressed, and he was afflicted, yet did he not open 
his mouth. He is brought as a sheep to the 
slaughter, and, as a sheep before the shearer is 
dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."* great 
unkindness! thing abominable! that we, 

[* Isa. lui. 1-7.] 



30 Dalcano. 

which profess ourselves Christians, and hear 
that the Son of God hath taken all our sins 
upon him, and washed them out with his pre- 
cious blood, suffering himself to be fastened 
to the cross for our sakes, should nevertheless 
make as though we would justify ourselves, and 
purchase forgiveness of our sins by our own 
works ; as who would say that the deserts, right- 
eousness, and bloodshed of Jesus Christ were 
not enough to do it, unless we came to put to 
our works and righteousness ; which are alto- 
gether defiled and spotted with self-love, self- 
liking, self-profit, and a thousand other vanities, 
for which we have need to crave pardon at 
God's hand, rather than reward. Neither do 
we think of the threatenings which St. Paul 
useth to the Galatians; who, having been de- 
ceived by false preachers, believed not that the 
justification by faith was sufficient of itself, but 
went about still to be made righteous by the law. 
Unto whom St. Paul saith, "Jesus Christ shall 
nothing profit you that justify yourselves by 
the law; for you be fallen from grace; because 
that we thorough* the Spirit of faith wait for 
the hope of righteousness."')" 

[* Thorough is occasionally used lor through.] f Gal. v. 4, 5. 



^aleauo. 31 

Now, if the seeking of righteous- Anexcei- 
ness and forgiveness of sins, by the rison Jnthe 
keeping of the law which God gave <mtxymv° 
upon mount Sinai, with so great glory wor s * 
and majesty, be the denying of Christ and of 
his grace, what shall we say to those that will 
needs justify themselves afore God by their own 
laws and observances ? I would wish that such 
folks should a little compare the one with the 
other, and afterward give judgment themselves. 
God mindeth not to do that honour, nor to give 
that glory to his own law ; and yet they will 
have him to give it to men's laws and ordi- 
nances. But that honour is given only to his 
only-begotten Son, who alone, by the sacrifice 
of his death and passion, hath made full amends 
for all our sins, past, present, and to come ; as 
St. Paul and St. John declare.* Wherefore, 
as often as we apply this satisfaction of Jesus 
Christ's unto our souls by faith, out of all doubt 
we obtain forgiveness of our sins, and become 
good and righteous before God, through his 
righteousness. And therefore, after that St. 
Paul hath said that, as touching the righteous- 
ness of the law, he had lived unblamable, he 

* Heb. vii. 27 ; John xii. 32. [Heb. x. 12, 14 ; 1 John i. 7, ii. 2.] 



32 Balearic 

addeth, " And yet, whatsoever I have gained by 
it, I have accounted it in all respects to be but 
loss, for the love of Christ. And specially I 
esteem all things to be loss for the excellent 
knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord ; for whom 
I have counted all things to be loss, and 
deem them but as dung, so I may win Christ, 
and be found in him, not having mine own 
righteousness which is of the law, but the 
righteousness which is by the faith of Jesus 
Christ, which righteousness is given of God, 
I mean the righteousness of faith, that I may 
come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ."* 
most notable words, which all Christians 
ought to have engraven in their hearts, praying 
God to make them to taste it perfectly. Lo ! 
how St. Paul showeth plainly that whosoever 
knoweth Christ aright esteemeth all the works 
of the law to be hurtful ; forsomuch as they 
make us to swerve from our trust in Jesus 
Christ; to whom every man ought to impute 
his salvation, and to trust only unto him alone. 
And, to enforce this sentence the more, he 
addeth further, that he esteemeth all things 
but as dung, so he may gain Christ and be 
found incorporated in him; declaring thereby 

* Phil. iii. 6-10. 



that whosoever trusteth in his own works, and 
pretendeth to justify himself by them, getteth 
not Jesus Christ, nother* is ingrafted into 
him. And, forasmuch as the whole mystery 
of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof, to 
the end we might the better understand what 
he meant to say, he addeth and repeateth often- 
times, that he had nothing to do with all the 
outward justification, and all the righteousness 
that is grounded upon the keeping of the law; 
but that he would clothe himself with the 
righteousness which Grod giveth by faith to all 
them that believe that all our sins are fully 
chastised and punished in Jesus Christ, and 
that Jesus Christ (as St. Paul saith,) "is made 
our wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and re- 
demption, to the end (as it is written) that he 
which will glory should glory in the Lord, and 
not in his own works. "f Very true it is, that 
in the holy Scriptures there are some texts to 
be found, which, being misunderstood, seem to 
gainsay this holy doctrine of St. Paul's and to 
attribute justification and remission of sins unto 
works and to charity. But those authorities 
have already been well expounded by some, 
who have showed plainly that such as have 

[*Nother: neither.] f 1 Cor. i. 30, 31. 



34 $alearto. 

understood them in the sense aforesaid under- 
stood them not aright. Wherefore, my dear- 
beloved brethren, let us not follow the fond 
opinion of the bewitched Galatians ; but rather 
let us follow the truth which St. Paul teacheth 
us, and let us give the whole glory of our jus- 
tification unto God's mercy and to the merits 
of his Son ; who by his own bloodshed hath set 
us free from the sovereignty of the law, and 
from the tyranny of sin and death, and hath 
brought us into the kingdom of God, to give 
us life and endless felicity. I say, yet further, 
that he hath delivered us from the dominion of 
the law, insomuch as he hath given us his 
Holy Spirit, who teacheth us all truth, and 
that he hath satisfied the law to the full, and 
given the same satisfaction unto all his members 
(that is to wit, to all true Christians) so as they 
How man may safely appear at God's throne, 
ed and St because they be clothed with the 
th? cur™ of righteousness of his Christ, and by 
the law. k' m delivered from the curse of the 
law. Then cannot the law any more accuse us 
or condemn us, nor move our affections or appe- 
tites, nor increase sin in us. And therefore St. 
Paul saith that the obligation which was against 
us is cancelled by Jesus Christ, and discharged 



$alearto. 35 

upon the tree of the cross,* insomuch as he 
hath set us free from the subjection of the 
law, and consequently from the tyranny of sin 
and death,"}" which can no more hereafter hold us 
oppressed, because it is overcome by Jesus 
Christ in his resurrection, and so consequently 
by us, which are his members; in such manner 
that we may say with St. Paul, and with the 
prophet Osee, Death is quite vanquished and 
destroyed. " death ! where is thy sting ? 
O hell ! where is thy victory ? The sting of 
death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 
But Grod be praised, who hath granted us vic- 
tory by our Lord Jesus Christ." J He is the 
blessed Seed that hath crushed the head of the 
venomous serpent, § that is to wit, of the devil ; 
insomuch that all those which believe in Jesus 
Christ, reposing their whole trust in his grace, 
do overcome sin, death, the devil, and hell; as 
Christ hath done. He is that blessed Seed of 
Abraham, in the which G-od hath promised 
blessedness to all nations. It behoved every 
particular person to fight with the said horrible 
serpent, and to deliver himself from that curse. 
But that enterprise was so great, that all the 

* Gal. iii. 13. f Rom. viii. 2 ; Col. ii. 14. 

X 1 Cor. xv. 55,-66, 57. [Hos. xiii. 14.] § Gen. iii. 15. 



36 Ualearto. 

force of the whole world knit together was not 
able to go through with it. Wherefore our 
God, the Father of mercy, being moved with 
compassion of our miseries, hath given us his 
only-begotten Son, who hath delivered us from 
the venom of the serpent, and is himself become 
our blessedness and righteousness, conditionally 
that we accept the same, renouncing all our 
own outward justifications. Then, my dear 
brethren, let us embrace the righteousness of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, and let us make it ours 
by means of faith : let us assure ourselves that 
we be righteous not for our own works, but 
through the merits of Jesus Christ, and let us 
live merrily* and assured that the righteous- 
ness of Jesus Christ hath utterly done away all 
our unrighteousness, and made us good, right- 
eous, and holy before God ; who, beholding us 
ingraffed into his Son by faith, esteemeth us 
not now any more as the children of Adam, 
but as his own children, and hath made us heirs 
of all his riches, with his own begotten Son. 

[* Merrily : cheerfully.] 



Paleano. 37 



THE FOURTH CHAPTER. 

OF THE EFFECTS OF LIVELY FAITH, AND OF THE UNION 
OF MAN'S SOUL WITH JESUS CHBIST. 

This holy faith worketh after such How we re- 
a sort in us, that he, which believeth likenesi'of 
that Jesus Christ hath taken all his 
sins upon him, becorneth like unto Christ, and 
overcometh sin, the devil, death, and hell. And 
the reason thereof is this; namely, that the 
church (that is to wit, every faithful soul) is 
Christ's wife, and Christ is her Husband. For 
we know how the law of marriage is, that of 
two they become one self- same thing, being two 
in one flesh, and that the goods and substance 
of either of them become common to 
them both; by means whereof the ^iSIT* 
husband saith that the dowry of his SmSSfr 
wife is his, and likewise the wife saith ^^/ na 
that her husband's house and all his ^ r a J t by 
riches are hers; and of a truth so they 
are ; for otherwise they should not be one flesh ; 
as the Scripture saith. After the same manner 



38 J9 a (car to. 

hath God married his only-begotten and dear- 
beloved Son to the faithful soul, which hath 
not any other thing peculiar of her own, save 
only sin; and yet the Son of God hath not 
disdained to take her for his well-beloved 
spouse, together with her peculiar dowry, which 
is sin. And now, by reason of the union which 
is in this holy marriage, look, what the one 
hath is also the other's. Jesus Christ therefore 
saith thus : The dowry of man's soul, my dear 
wife, that is to wit, her sins and transgressings 
of the law, God's wrath against her, the bold- 
ness of the devil over her, the prison of hell, 
and all other her evils, are become mine, and 
are in my power to do what I list with them. 
Wherefore it is at my choice to deal with them 
at my pleasure; and therefore I will put out 
the handwriting which is against the soul my 
wife ; I will take it out of the way ; I will fasten 
it to my cross in mine own body, and in the 
same will I spoil principalities and powers, and 
make a show of them openly, and triumph over 
them, and consume them utterly unto nothing. 
Now, when God saw his Son, who knew no 
sin, neither had any sin in him, thus willingly 
taking on him the foulness of our iniquity, he 
made him to be sin for us, even the very 



sacrifice for our sin, and did sharply punish 
our sin in him, putting him to death, even the 
death of the cross. Howbeit, forasmuch as he 
was his well-beloved and obedient Son, he would 
not leave him in death, nor suffer his Holy One 
to see corruption, but raised him up from death 
to life, giving him all power in heaven and 
earth, and set him at his right hand in glory.* 
Now, then, the wife likewise, with exceeding 
great joy, doth say: The realms and kingdoms 
of my most dear Husband and Saviour are 
' mine : by him I am an heir of heaven : my 
Husband's riches, that is to wit, his holiness, 
his innocency, his righteousness, and his God- 
head, together with all his virtue and might, 
are mine, and for me ; and therefore in him I 
am holy, innocent, righteous, and godly, and 
there is not any spot in me. I am well-favoured 
and fair; inasmuch as my lawful Husband hath 
not any blemish in him, but is altogether goodly 
and fair. And, sith that he is wholly mine, 
and so, consequently, all that he hath is mine, 
and all that he hath is pure and holy; it follow- 
eth that I also am pure and holy. Therefore, 
to begin at his most innocent birth, he hath 
thereby sanctified the birth of his spouse 

* Matt, xxviii. 18 ; Phil, ii. 9. 



40 ^aiearto. 

conceived in sin. The godly childhood and 
youth of the Bridegroom hath justified the 
childish and youthful life of his dear-beloved 
bride. For the love and union that is betwixt 
the soul of a true Christian, and the Bridegroom 
Jesus Christ, maketh all the works of either of 
them to be common to them both. By reason 
whereof, when a man saith, Jesus Christ hath 
fasted, Jesus Christ hath prayed, Jesus Christ 
was heard of the Father, raised the dead, drave 
devils out of men, healed the sick, died, rose 
again, and ascended into heaven; likewise, a 
man may say that a Christian man hath done all 
the self-same works; forasmuch as the works 
of Christ are the works of the Christian; be- 
cause he hath done them for him. Verily a 
man may say that the Christian hath been 
nailed to the cross, buried, raised again, is 
gone up into heaven, become the child of God 
and made partaker of the Godhead. On the 
other side, all the works that a Christian man 
doeth are Christ's works; because it is his will 
to take them for his. And, forasmuch as 
they be unperfect, and he throughly perfect, 
and cannot away with any unperfect thing, he 
hath made them perfect, with his virtues; to 
the end that his wife should be always joyful 



and well-contented, and not be afraid of any 
thing, assuring herself that, although there be 
yet still some default in her works, yet, notwith- 
standing, they be acceptable to God in respect 
of his Son, upon whom he hath his eyes always 
fastened. the unmeasurable goodness of 
God! How greatly is the Christian bound 
unto God! There is no love of man, be it 
never so great, that may be compared with 
the love that God beareth to the soul of 
every faithful Christian, whereof Christ is the 
Bridegroom. Whereupon St. Paul saith that 
Jesus Christ hath so loved his wife, the church, 
which is builded of living stones (that is, of 
the souls of the believing Christians), that, 
"for to sanctify her, he hath offered himself 
to the death of the cross, cleansing her with the 
washing of water, by his word, to join her to 
himself, a glorious church, without spot or 
wrinkle, or other like thing; but that she 
should be holy and unblamable"* (that is to 
wit, like unto him in holiness and inno- 
cency), and also be the true and lawful daugh- 
ter of God, who hath loved the world so well, 
that, as Jesus Christ himself saith, "He hath 
given his only-begotten Son, to the end that 

* Eph. v. 25-27. 



42 ^aieario. 

every one which believeth in him should not 

perish, but have life everlasting. For God sent 

not his Son into the world to condemn the 

world ; but to the end that the world might be 

saved by him, insomuch that he which believeth 

in him shall not be damned."* 

Some man might demand after what manner 

the union of this holy marriage is 
How tho , _ . . ;,.,.., 

faithful made, and how the soul, which is the 

in assured of bride, and her Bridegroom Jesus 
married uu- Christ, are knit together? What 
assurance can I have that my soul 
is united unto Jesus Christ, and become his 
spouse ? How can I assuredly glory that I am 
queen and mistress of his great riches, as a 
wife may? I can easily believe that other 
folks shall receive this honour and glory; but 
I cannot persuade myself that I am one of 
those same to whom God hath given so great 
grace. For I know mine own wretchedness 
and imperfection. My dear-beloved brother, 
I answer thee, that thine assurance consisteth 
in true and lively faith, wherewith, as St. Peter 
saith, God cleanseth men's hearts.f And this 
faith is grounded in the believing of the gospel, 
that is to say, in the believing of the glad 

* John iii. 16, 17. f Acts xv. 9. 



¥aleatto. 43 

tidings which hath been published on God's 
behalf through the whole world;* which tidings 
containeth in effect, that God hath used the 
rigorousness of his justice against Jesus Christ, 
chastising and punishing all our sins in him. 
And whosoever receiveth this good tidings, and 
believes it steadfastly, hath the true faith, and 
doth enjoy the forgiveness of his sins, and is 
also reconciled unto God, and of the child of 
wrath is become the child of grace, and, reco- 
vering the image of God,f entereth into the 
kingdom of God, and is made the temple of 
God ; who marrieth man's soul to his only Son, 
by the mean of this faith, which faith is a work 
of God, and the gift of God ; as St. Paul saith 
oftentimes. And God giveth it unto those 
whom he calleth to him, of purpose to justify 
them, and to glorify them, and to give them 
everlasting life; according as our Lord Jesus 
Christ witnesseth, saying, " This is the will of 
him that sent me, even that every one which 
seeth the Son and believeth in him should 
have everlasting life ; and I will raise him up 
again at the latter day." J And, "like as Moses 
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must 
the Son of man be lifted up; to the end that 

* Luke ii. 10. f 2 Cor. iii. 18. % John vi. 39. 



44 Balearic 

every one which believeth in him might not 
perish, but have life everlasting."* Also he 
saith to Martha, " He that believeth in me shall 
live, although he were dead; and every one 
that liveth and believeth in me shall not die 
forever. "f And to a company of the Jews he 
saith, "I am come a light into the world, to 
the end that every man which believeth in me 
should not abide in darkness."^ And St. John 
in his epistle saith, " Herein appeared the love 
of G-od towards us; for that Grod is love, and 
sent his only-begotten Son into this world, that 
we might live through him. And herein is 
love known, not in that we loved God, but in 
that he loved us, and sent his Son to make 
atonement for our sins."§ And, moreover, he 
sent him to destroy our enemies. For the 
bringing whereof to pass, he made him par- 
taker of our flesh, and of our blood, as saith St. 
Paul, " to the end that by his death he might 
destroy him that had the dominion of death, 
that is to wit, the devil, and set all such at 
liberty as were subject to bondage all their life 
long, for fear of death. "|| Seeing, then, that we 
have records of the holy Scripture, concerning 

* John iii. 14, 15. f John xi. 25, 26. % John xii. 46. 

1 1 John iv. 8, 9, 10. || Heb. ii. 14, 16. 



the promises, whereof we have spoken hereto- 
fore, and concerning many other promises that 
are dispersed in divers places of the same, we 
cannot doubt of it. And, forsomuch as the 
Scripture speaketh to all in general, none of us 
ought to distrust in himself, that the self-same 
thing which the Scripture saith should not 
belong particularly to himself 

And, to the end that this point, wherein lieth 
and consisteth the whole mystery of our holy 
faith, may be understood the better, let us put 
the case, that some good and holy Avery 

i • i x* l t- j g° odl y simi - 

king cause proclamation to be made litude, and 

through his whole realm by the sound expressing 
of a trumpet, that all rebels and ban- forgiveness 
ished men shall safely return home to jesus 
their houses, because that at the suit sake, 
and desert of some dear friend of theirs it 
hath pleased him to pardon them; certainly 
none of those rebels ought to doubt of the 
obtaining of true pardon of his rebellion, but 
rather ought assuredly to return home to his 
house, to live under the shadow of that holy 
king. And, if he will not return, he shall bear 
the penalty of it, because that through his 
own unbelief he dieth in exile, and in the dis- 
pleasure of his prince. But this good king is 



46 PaUauo. 

the Lord of heaven and earth; who, for the obe- 
dience and desert of our good brother, Jesus 
Christ, hath pardoned us all our sins, and, as 
we have said afore, hath made open proclama- 
tion through the whole world, that all of us 
may safely return into his kingdom. Where- 
fore he that believeth this proclamation doth 
straightways return into God's kingdom (where- 
out of we were driven by the offence of our 
first parents), and is blessedly governed by Grod's 
Holy Spirit. And he that giveth no credit to 
the said proclamation shall never enjoy the said 
general pardon, but for his unbelief's sake shall 
abide in banishment under the tyranny of the 
devil, and live and die in extreme misery, living 
and dying in the displeasure of the King of 
heaven and earth — and that justly. For we 
cannot commit a greater offence against this good 
God, than to account him as a liar and deceiver -, 
which verily we do, in not giving credit to his 
promises. 

how passing heavy is this deadly sin of 
unbelief! which, so far forth as is possible, be- 
reaveth Grod of his glory and perfection; besides 
the great harm that it doeth to a man's self, 
which is his own damnation and the endless tor- 
ment of his soul, which the miserable conscience 



lalcarto. 47 



feeletli even in this life. But, on the contrary y 
he that cometh unto Grod with assuredness of 
this faith, "believing him without any mistrust or 
doubt of his promises, and warranting himself 
for a certainty that Grod will perform all that 
ever he hath promised him, giveth all the glory 
unto G-od,* and liveth continually in rest and 
endless joy, evermore praising and thanking 
the Lord Grod for choosing him to the glory 
of the eternal life. 

And hereof they have an assured earnest- 
penny and gage, that is to wit, the Son of Glod, 
whom they take for their most loving Bride- 
groom, the blood of whom hath made their 
hearts so drunken, that, through this passing 
holy belief, there is in the Christian heart en- 
gendered so lively a hope, and so certain a 
trust of Grod's mercy towards us, and such an 
operation is wrought in us, as we rest ourselves 
wholly upon Grod, leaving the whole care of us 
unto him in such wise, that, being throughly 
assured of God's good-will, we are not afraid, 
nother of the devil, nor of his ministers, nor of 
death. Which holy and steadfast trust of 
Gi-od's mercy enlargeth our heart, cheereth it 
up, and with certain marvellous sweet affections 



48 ^alearto. 

directeth it unto God, filling it and setting it 
on fire with an exceeding fervent love. And 
therefore Paul encourageth us to " go with all 
boldness to the throne of grace;"* and he coun- 
selled us that we should not shake it off, nor 
" make light of our trust, which hath great re- 
compense and reward/'"!" 

But this so holy and divine affiance is gen- 
dered in our hearts by the working of the Holy 
Ghost ; who is communicated unto us by faith, 
which never goeth without the love of God. 
And hereof it cometh that we be provoked 
to do good works with a certain liveliness and 
effectual cheerfulness ; whereby we gather such 
a strength and inclination to do them, as we be 
throughly ready and forward to do and suffer all 
intolerable things for the love and glory of our 
most gracious and merciful Father j who hath 
enriched us with so abundant grace through 
Jesus Christ, and of his enemies made us his most 
dear children. This true faith is no sooner given 
a man, but he is by-and-by endued and imprinted 
with a certain violent love of good works, to yield 
right sweet and amiable fruits both unto God, 
and likewise to his neighbour, as a very good and 
fruitful tree. And it is no more possible that 

*Heb. iv. 16. f Heb. x. 35. 



he should be otherwise, than it is possible that 
a faggot should be set on fire, and not cast light 
immediately. 

This is the holy faith, "without the which 
it is unpossible that any man should please 
God,"* and whereby all the holy men (as well 
of the Old Testament as of the New) have 
been saved, according as St. Paul witnesseth 
of Abraham; concerning whom the Scripture 
saith that "Abraham believed God; and it 
was reckoned to him for righteousness. "f 
And therefore he saith a little before, "We 
believe that a man is justified by faith with- 
out the deeds of the law."J And in another 
place he saith, "So then in that time shall 
the remnant be saved, according to the elec- 
tion of grace ; and, if they be saved by grace, 
then is it not by works; for then were grace 
no grace."§ And to the Galatians he saith, 
" It is a manifest matter that no man becometh 
righteous before God by the law ; because the 
righteous liveth by faith. And the law con- 
sisteth not in belief; but he that performeth 
the things that the law commandeth shall live 
by that performance."!! And further he saith 

* Heb. xi. 6. f Rom. iv. 3; Gen. xv. 6. 

% Rom. iii. 28. [g Rom. xi. 5, 6.] || Gal. iii. 11, 12 ; Habak. ii. 4. 



50 Balearic. 

that "a man cannot become righteous by the 
deeds of the law, but only by believing iu 
Jesus Christ." Again, a little after he saith 
that, "if a man can become righteous by the 
law, Jesus Christ died in vain."* Moreover to 
the Eomans, making comparison between the 
righteousness of the law, and the righteousness 
of the gospel, he saith that the one consisteth 
in the doing of works, and the other in be- 
lieving: "For, if thou confess our Lord Jesus 
Christ with thy mouth, and believe in thy heart 
that God hath raised him up from death, thou 
shalt be saved. For the belief of the heart 
maketh a man righteous ; and the confession of 
the mouth maketh him safe."f Lo ! how this 
good teacher St. Paul showeth evidently that 
faith maketh a man righteous without any works. 
And not only St. Paul, but also the holy doc- 
tors that came after him have confirmed and 
allowed this most holy truth of justification by 
St. Augus- faith; among whom St. Augustine is 
the chief, who, in his book of Faith 
and Works, and in his book of the Spirit and 
the Letter, and in his book of Four-Score and 
Three Questions, and in his book which he did 
write to Boniface, and in his treatise upon the 

* Gal. ii. 16, 21. f Rom. *• 9. 10. 



Balearic. 51 

xxxi. Psalm, and in many other places, de- 
fendeth this article, showing that we become 
righteous by faith without any help of good 
works ;* howbeit that good works are the effects 
of righteousness, and not the cause of it. And 
he showeth that the words of St. James, being 
soundly understood, are nothing contrary to 
this article. Which thing Origen Origen. 
doth also affirm in his fourth book upon the 
epistle to the Romans, saying that " St. Paul's 
meaning is, that faith only is sufficient to make 
men righteous ; insomuch that a man becometh 
righteous only by believing, although he have 
not done any good work at all. For so it is, 
that the thief became righteous without the 
works of the law ; forasmuch as the Lord sought 
not what good works he had done in time past, 
nor waited until he had done any after he had 
believed, but, having accepted him for right- 
eous upon his only confession, took him for 
his companion, even when he should enter into 

[* August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. Lib. de Fid. et Oper. cap. 
xvi. 27, torn. xi. cols. 180. 1. Id. Lib. de Spir. ct Lit. cap. vii. 11, 
torn. x. col. 90. Id. Lib. de Div. Qua?st. Octog. Tiib. Qugest. lxxvi. 
torn. vi. cols. 67, 8. Id. ad Paulin. Epist. clxxxvi. 8, turn. ii. col 660. 
This epistle in some editions is inscribed to Bonifacius. Id. in Psalm 
xxxi. Eiiarr. ii. 2, etc.: torn. iv. col. 171, etc. In all those places 
Augustine maintains at considerable length the doctrine here ad- 
vanced.] 



52 IJaleano. 

paradise. Likewise, that so renowned woman* 
in the gospel of St. Luke,f while she was yet 
at the feet of Jesus Christ, heard it said unto 
her, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee.' And a little 
after he saith unto her, 'Thy faith hath saved 
thee : go thy way in peace.' " Afterward 
Origen saith, "In many places of the gospel, 
a man may see how our Lord Jesus Christ hath 
spoken in such wise, as he showeth that faith 
is the cause of the salvation of the believers. 
Then is a man made righteous by faith; and 
the works of the law further him nothing at all. 
On the contrary, where faith is not (which faith 
maketh the believer righteous), although a 
man do the works which the law commandeth, 
yet, notwithstanding, forasmuch as they be not 
builded upon the foundation of faith, albeit 
that to outward appearance they seem good, yet 
can they not justify him that doeth them; be- 
Faith is cause he wanteth faith, which is the 
those that mark of them that are become right- 
fied. JUS * eous before God. And who is he that 
can boast himself to be righteous, when he 
heareth G-od say by his prophet Esay, 'that all 
our righteousness is as a denied cloth' ?J Then 

* Mary Magdalen. f Luke vh. 48, 50. 

% Isa. lxiv. 6. 



ftaleanc. 53 

can we not justly glory in ourselves, but in the 
only faith of the cross of Jesus Christ/'* St. 
Basil, in his homily of Humility, saith St. Basil. 
that the Christian ought to hold himself for 
righteous through belief in Jesus Christ; and 
his words are these: "The apostle saith that 
'he which glorieth should glory in the Lord; 
in that Grod hath made Jesus Christ to be our 
wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemp- 
tion; to the end that he which would glory 
should glory in the Lord ;' because that the per- 
fect and sound glorying is to glory in the Lord. 
For, in so doing, a man presumeth not upon 
his own righteousness, but acknowledged his 
want of the true righteousness, and that he 
is made righteous only by believing in Jesus 
Christ. And St. Paul glorieth of the despising 
of his own righteousness and of his seeking of 
Christ's righteousness, by faith, which cometh 
of Grod."f St. Hilary, in his ninth St. Hilary, 
canon upon the exposition of St. Matthew, 
saith these words: "The scribes, considering 
Jesus Christ but only as man, were troubled 
that a man should forgive sins, and pardon 

f* Orig. Op. Par. 1733-59. Comm. in Epist. ad Rom. lib. iii. 9, 
torn. iv. pp. 516-18.] 

[t Basil. Op. Par. 1721-30. De Humil. Horn. xx. 3, torn. ii. pp. 
158, 159.] 

5* 



54 ^alearto. 

that thing which the law could not do, because 
st Am- tnat on b T f a i tn justifieth."* St. Am- 
brose. brose, in expounding these words of 

St. Paul ("Unto him that believeth in hirn 
which justifieth the ungodly, his faith is ac- 
counted for righteousness, according to the 
purpose of God's grace : like as David also saith 
that the man is blessed whom God accounteth 
righteous without works"f ), writeth thus : " St. 
Paul saith, that unto him which believeth in 
Jesus Christ (that is to wit, to the Gentiles) his 
faith is imputed for righteousness; as it was 
unto Abraham. In what wise then think 
the Jews to become righteous by the works 
of the law, and yet to be righteous as Abra- 
ham was; seeing that Abraham became not 
righteous by the deeds of the law, but only 
by faith? Then is not the law needful; 
forasmuch as the sinner becomcth righteous 
before God through only faith, according to 
God's gracious purpose ; as David saith. The 
apostle confirmeth that which he hath said by 
the prophet's example, saying, 'Blessed is the 
man whom God accepteth for righteous with- 
out works ;'J whereby David meaneth that 

[* Hilar. Op. Par. 1693. Comm. in Matt. cap. viii. 6, col. 646.] 
f Rom. iv. 5, 6. £ Peal, xxxii. 1, 2. 



those men are very happy whom God hath 
determined to accept for righteous before him, 
by only faith, without any pains-taking or 
observation of the law on their behalf. Thus 
showeth he the blessedness of the time wherein 
Christ was born; insomuch as the Lord him- 
self saith, 'Many righteous men and prophets 
have coveted to see the things that you see? 
and to hear the things that you hear, and 
have not heard them/' "* The self-same thing 
saith St. Ambrose, in expounding the first 
chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, 
afiirming openly, that " whosoever believeth in 
Jesus Christ is become righteous without works, 
and without any desert, and receiveth forgive- 
ness of his sins by faith alone."f Also he af- 
firmeth the same thing in an epistle which he 
writeth to Ireneeus, saying, "Let no man boast 
of his own works, for no man becometh right- 
eous by his own works; but he that hath 
righteousness hath it of free gift, forsomuch as 
he is made righteous by Jesus Christ. Then is 
it faith that delivereth by Christ's blood; for 

[* Ambros. Op. Par. 1686-90. Comm. in Epist. ad Rom. cap. iv. 
w. 5, 6. torn. ii. Append, col. 48. These commentaries on St. 
Paul's epistles, -which were in the author's time ascribed to St. 
Ambrose, are not really by that father.] 

[f Id. Comm. in Epist. ad Cor. prim. cap. i. v. 4, torn. ii. col. 112. 



56 SaUarto. 

happy is he whose sin is forgiven and par- 
doned."* And St. Bernard, in his three-score 
st. Bernard, and seventeenth sermon upon the Bal- 
let of Ballets/j" confirrneth the same, saying that 
our own merits bear no sway at all in making 
us righteous; which thing must be attributed 
wholly unto grace, which maketh us righteous 
freely, and likewise dischargeth us from the 
bondage of sin. And he addeth that Jesus 
Christ marrieth the soul, and coupleth it unto 
himself by faith, without that any desert of 
our works ought or can come between. J But, 
because I will not be too long, I will make an 
end of mine allegations, when I have uttered 
one very notable and good saying of St. Am- 
brose's in his book intituled, Of Jacob concern- 
ing the blessed life. The said holy man saith 
that, like as Jacob, having not on his 

A very good . . 

comparison own behalf deserved the birthright, 

how we be tit- 

clothed with shrouded himself under the apparel 
eousness of of his brother, and clothed himself 

Jesus Christ. .... i • 1 • 1 -i i 

with his garment, which yielded a 
very sweet scent, and in that wise presented 
himself to his father to receive the blessing 

[« Id. ad Iren. Epist. Ixxiii. 11, torn. ii. col. 1080.] 
t Song of Songs. 

ft Bernard. Op. Par. 1690. In Cant. Serm. lxvii. 10, 11, vol. i. 
torn. iv. cols. 1503. 1504.1 



^alearto. 57 

under another man's person to his own behoof;* 
even so is it requisite for us to clothe ourselves 
with the righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith, 
and to shroud ourselves under the divine pure- 
ness of our eldest Brother, if we will be received 
for righteous afore God.f 

And certainly this is true. For, if we ap- 
pear before God unclothed of the righteousness 
of Jesus Christ, out of all doubt we shall be 
judged worthy of everlasting damnation. But, 
contrariwise, if God see us apparelled with the 
righteousness of his Son, Christ, then will he 
surely take us for righteous, and holy, and 
worthy of eternal life. And verily it is a great 
rashness in such as pretend to attain to right- 
eousness by the keeping of God's command- 
ments, which are all comprehended in loving 
God with all our heart, with all our soul, and 
with all our strength, and our neighbour as 
ourself. But who is so arrogant or so No man 
mad as to presume that he is able to o? n the aS pei-. 
perform those commandments to the oTgoJs 6 
full ? Or who seeth not that God's law - 
law requireth perfect love, and condemneth all 

* Gen. xxvii. 

[f Ambros. Op. Par. 16S6-90. De Jacob et Vit. Beat. lib. ii. 
cap. ii. 9, torn. i. cols. 461, 462. 



58 $)aUarto. 

unperfectness ? Let every man consider well 
his own works, which partly shall seem good 
unto him, and he shall find that they ought 
rather to be called transgressions of that most 
holy law, according also as they be altogether 
unclean and imperfect; so that he must be fain 
to utter this saying of David's, "Enter not 
into judgment with thy servant, Lord; for 
no man living shall be found righteous in thy 
sight."* And Solomon saith, "Who is he 
that may say, My heart is clean ?"f And Job 
crieth out, " What man is he that can be un- 
dented, and what man born of woman can show 
himself righteous ? Behold, he found no stead- 
fastness among his saints; yea, the heavens are 
not clean in his sight. How much more abomi- 
nable and filthy is man, who clrinketh iniquity 
as it were water I"! And St. John saith, "If 
we say we be without sin, we deceive our- 
selves.'^ And specially our Saviour Jesus 
Christ teacheth us to say, as often as we pray, 
" Forgive us all our trespasses, as we forgive 
them that trespass against us."|| And hereby 
may well be gathered the folly of those that 
make merchandise of their works, presuming to 
save by them not only themselves, but also their 

* PsaL cxliii. 2. t J'rov. x.\. 9. % Job xv. 14-16. 
§1 John i.8. | Matt. vi. 12. 



neighbours ; as though our Lord Jesus Christ 
had uot said uuto them, "When ye have done all 
that ever is commanded you, say ye, We be 
unprofitable servants : we have done but as we 
ought to do."* Ye see that, although we had 
performed God's law to the full, yet neverthe- 
less we should esteem and call ourselves unpro- 
fitable servants. Now, then, seeing that men 
are so far off from this full performance, who 
is he that dareth be so bold as to glorify him- 
self, that he hath added so great an overplus of 
deservings above the full measure, as he may 
have to deal abroad unto others ? 

But, to return to our purpose, I would that 
the proud sinner, which beareth himself in 
hand that he maketh himself righteous before 
God by doing some works which are allowable 
to the world, would consider that all the works 
which proceed out of an unclean and foul heart 
are also unclean and filthy, and consequently 
cannot be acceptable unto God, nor have any 
power to make the party righteous. Therefore 
we must first of all cleanse the heart, if we 
mind that our works should please God. The 
cleansing of the heart proceedeth of faith; as 
the. Holy Ghost affirmeth by the mouth of St. 

* Luke xvii. 10. 



60 Eaieauo. 

Peter.* Then must we not say that the un- 
righteous person and the sinner becometh right- 
eous, good, and acceptable unto God by his own 
works; but we must of necessity conclude that 
faith cleanseth our hearts, and maketh us good, 
righteous, and acceptable before God, and, 
furthermore, causeth our works to please him, 
notwithstanding that they be altogether un- 
profitable and unperfit. For, inasmuch as wo. 
be become the children of God through faith, 
he considereth our works, not as a severe and 
rigorous judge, but as a most merciful Father, 
having pity of our frailness, and regarding us 
as the members of his eldest Son; whose per- 
fection and righteousness doth supply all our 
uncleanness and imperfection, which are not 
laid to our charge, forsomuch as they be cov- 
ered under the pureness and innocency of Jesus 
Christ, and come not to judgment before God. 

And hereupon it cometh to pass, 
works of the that all our works which proceed of 
though they true faith (notwithstanding that they 
feet! please he wholly sinful and corrupt of them- 
God ' selves) shall nevertheless be praised 

and allowed by Jesus Christ in the general 
judgment, because they be the fruits and tes- 



iPaleauo* 61 

tinionies of our faith, whereby we be saved. 
For, insomuch as we have loved the brethren 
of Jesus Christ, we shall show evidently that 
we have also been faithful, and brethren of 
Christ; and therefore by faith we shall be put 
in full possession of the everlasting kingdom, 
which our Sovereign Lord G-od hath prepared 
for us before the creating of the world,* not for 
our merits' sakes, but through his mercy ; where- 
by he hath chosen us, and called us to the grace 
of his gospel, and made us righteous, to the 
intent to glorify us everlastingly with his only- 
begotten Son Jesus Christ; who is the holiness 
and righteousness of us, but not of them which 
will not confess that faith is sufficient of itself 
to make a man righteous and acceptable to the 
Lord Grod, who, through his fatherly goodness 
and loving-kindness, offereth and giveth us 
Jesus Christ with his righteousness, without 
any desert of our own works. 

What thing can work or cause a man to 
deserve so great a gift and treasure as Jesus 
Christ is ? This treasure is given only through 
the grace, favour, and mercifulness T , 
of (rod: and only faith is the thing manner 

. , ° faith jus- 

that receiveth such a gift, as to make tmeth. 



62 ¥aleario. 



us enjoy tlie forgiveness of our sins. And, there- 
fore, when St. Paul and other doctors say that 
only faith maketli men righteous without works, 
they mean that it maketli us to enjoy the gene- 
ral forgiveness of our sins, and to receive Jesus 
Christ, who (as saith St. Paul) dwelleth in our 
hearts by faith,* and, overcoming and pacifying 
the troubles of our consciences, satisfieth God's 
justice for our sins. Furthermore, it appeaseth 
God's wrath justly moved against us, quencheth 
the fire of hell, wherein our natural corruption 
did throw us headlong, and cheerfully de- 
stroyeth and overthroweth the devil, together 
with all his power and tyranny; which things 
all the works that all the men in the world can 
lay together are not able to deserve nor to bring 
to pass. That glory and that prerogative is 
reserved alonely to the Son of God, that is to 
wit, to the blessed Jesus Christ; who hath 
power above all the powers that are in heaven, 
in earth, and in hell, and giveth himself and 
his merits to all such as, distrusting in them- 
selves, do set their whole hope of being saved 
in him, and in his merits. 

And therefore let no man beguile himself 
when he heareth it said that only faith justifieth, 

*Eph. iii. 17 



"without works, and think, as false Christians 
do (who draw all things to live fleshly), that 
the true faith consisteth in believing the bare 
story of Jesus Christ, after the same manner as 
men believe the story of Caesar or of Alexander. 
Such manner of belief is but an historical be- 
lief, grounded merely upon the report of men, 
and upon their writings, and lightly imprinted 
in our conceit by a certain custom, and is like 
to the faith of the Turks, who, for the like 
reasons, believe the fables of their Alcoran. 

And such a faith is but an imagination of 
man, which never reneweth the heart of man, 
nor warmeth it with the love of God; neither 
do any good works ensue, or any change of life 
which faith should bring forth. And, therefore, 
they falsely hold opinion, against the holy Scrip- 
ture, and against the holy doctors of the Church, 
that only faith maketh not men righteous, but 
that they must also have works. Unto whom I 
answer, that this historical and fond belief, and 
all the works that ensue thereof, are not only 
unable to make a man righteous, but also do cast 
the parties headlong to the bottom of hell, like 
unto those that have none oil in their lamps,* 
that is to say, no lively faith in their hearts. 

* Matt. sxv. 3. 



64 ^aicano. 

The faith that maketh men righteous is a 
work of God in us, whereby "our old man is 
crucified,"* and we, being transformed in Jesus 
Christ, become new creatures, and the dear- 
beloved children of God. This heavenly faith is 
it that graffeth us into the death and resurrec- 
tion of Jesus Christ; and, consequently, morti- 
fieth our flesh with the effectsf and lusts thereof. 
For, when we, by the operation of faith, do 
know ourselves to be dead with Jesus Christ, 
we are at a full point with ourselves and with 
the world, and are throughly resolved how it 
is meet that they, which are dead with Jesus 
Christ, should mortify their earthly members, 
that is to wit, the sinful affections of their mind, 
and the lusts of the flesh; and, forasmuch as we 
know we be raised again with Christ, we bend 
ourselves to the leading of a spiritual and holy 
life, like unto that which we shall live in hea- 
ven, after the last resurrection. 

This holy faith, making us to enjoy the gene- 
ral pardon that is published by the Gospel, 
bringeth us into the kingdom of our good God, 
and pacifieth our consciences, maintaining us in 
continual joy, and holy and spiritual sweetness. 

* Rom. vi. 6. 
[t Perhaps affects, i.e. affections, may be meant.] 



^aUartCL 65 

This self-same faith knitteth us unto God, and 
niaketh him to dwell in our hearts, and clotheth 
our soul with himself; so as thenceforth the 
Holy Ghost moveth us to do the same things 
whereunto he moved Jesus Christ, while he was 
in this world and was conversant among men ; 
that is to wit, unto lowliness, meekness, obedient- 
ness unto God, lovingness, and other perfections, 
wherethrough we recover the image of God. 
For these self-same causes, Jesus Christ did 
rightly attribute blessedness unto this inspired 
faith; which blessedness cannot be without good 
works and holiness of life. And how can it be 
that a Christian should not become holy, seeing 
that Jesus Christ is become his holiness through 
faith? 

Therefore, by faith we be justified and saved; 
and therefore St. Paul doth, in a man- st. Paul 
ner, always call those saints whom we them saints 
call now Christians; who if they have caiicims- 
not Christ's Spirit, are none of Christ's, 
and, consequently, no Christians at all. But, if 
they have the Spirit of Jesus Christ to rule and 
govern them, we must not doubt but that, al- 
though they know well that they be made 
righteous thorough faith only, yet, for all that, 
they will become never the more slothful to do 



66 ^aleario. 

? r tba th g 00 ^ works. For Christ's Spirit is the 
cannot be Spirit of love ; and love cannot be 

without r 7 

good idle, nor cease from the doing of good 

works. ' . too 

works. But, if we will say the truth, 
a man can do no good works, except he first 
know himself to be become righteous by faith; 
for, before he knoweth that, his doing of good 
works is rather to make himself righteous than 
for the love and glory of God ; and so he de- 
fileth all his works with self-love, for the love 
of himself and for his own profit. But he, that 
knoweth himself to be become righteous by the 
merits and righteousness of Christ (which he 
maketh his own by faith), laboureth happily, 
and doeth good works, alonely for the love and 
glory of Christ, and not for love of himself, nor 
to make himself righteous. And thereupon it 
cometh that the true Christian (that is to wit, 
he that accounteth himself righteous by reason 
of Christ's righteousness) asketh not whether 
good works be commanded or not; but, being 
wholly moved and provoked with a certain vio- 
lence of godly love, he ofiereth himself willingly 
to do all the works that are holy and Christian- 
like, and never ceaseth to do well. 

He, therefore, which feeleth not the marvel- 
lous effects by his faith, which we have hereto- 



$aicano. 67 

fore declared that the inspired faith worketh in 
the heart of the Christian, let him assure him- 
self that he hath not the Christian faith, and let 
him pray earnestly unto G-od to give it him, say- 
ing, "Lord, help mine unbelief."* And, when 
he heareth it said that only faith maketh men 
righteous, let him not deceive himself, and say, 
What need I to weary myself in doing good 
works : faith is enough to send me to paradise ? 
To such a one I answer, that only faith sendeth 
us to paradise ; but yet let him take good heed ; 
for "the devils do also believe and tremble;" 
as saith St. James. f miserable man ! wilt 
thou go with them to paradise ? By this false 
conclusion thou mayest know, my brother, in 
what an error thou art; for thou weenest to 
have the faith that maketh men righteous, and 
thou hast it not. " Thou sayest thou art rich, 
and hast no need of any thing ; and thou seest 
not how thou art poor, wretched, blind, and 
naked. I counsel thee to buy gold of Grod, that 
is throughly fixed with fire (that is to say, true 
faith set on fire with good works), to the intent 
thou mayest become rich; and to clothe thy- 
self with white raiment (that is to wit, with 
Christ's innocency), to the end that the shame 

* Mark ix. 24 f James ii, 19. 



68 Balearic 

of thy nakedness (which is the great filthiness 

of thy sins) be not seen to the whole world."* 

Then is the justifying faith, as it 

compari- were, a flame of fire, which cannot but 

cast forth brightness. And, like as 

the flame burneth the wood without the help of 

the light, and yet the flame cannot be without 

the light; so is it assuredly true that faith 

alone consumeth and burneth away sin, without 

the help of works, and yet that the same faith 

cannot be without good works. Wherefore, like 

as if we see a flame of fire that giveth no light, 

we know by-and-by that it is but vain and 

painted • even so, when we see not some light 

of good works in a man, it is a token that he 

hath not the true inspired faith which God 

giveth to his chosen, to justify and glorify 

them withal. And hold it for certain 
What st. ■ 

James that fet. James meant so when he said, 

meant con- . 

ceming " know me thy iaitn by thy works • 
and I will show thee my faith by my 
works."*)* For his meaning was, that he, which 
is plunged in ambitiousness and worldly plea- 
sures, believeth not (though he say he believe), 
forasmuch as he showeth not in himself the 
effects of faith. 

* Rev. iii. 17, 18. f James ii. 18. 



Also, we may liken this holy faith a heavenly 

. ~ _ , , . , . . T conipari- 

fco the Godhead which is in Jesus son. 
Christ; who, being very man (but without 
sin), did wonderful things, healing the sick, 
giving sight to the blind, walking upon the 
water, and raising up the dead unto life 
again ; and yet these marvellous works were not 
the cause that he was God. For, before he did 
any of those things, he was God, and the law- 
ful and only-begotten Son of God, and he 
needed not to work those miracles to make 
himself God by them ; but, forasmuch as he was 
God, therefore he did them. And so the mira- 
cles that Christ wrought made him not to be 
God, but showed openly that he was God. In 
like wise, true faith is, as it were, a Godhead in 
the soul of a Christian, which doeth wondrous 
works, and is never weary of well-doing; and 
yet those works are not the cause that a Chris- 
tian is a Christian, that is to wit, that he is right- 
eous, good, holy, and acceptable unto God; 
neither needeth he to work all those good works 
to become such a one. But, forasmuch as he 
is a Christian by faith, like as Jesus Christ, 
being a man, was also God by his Godhead, he 
doeth all those good works, which make not the 
Christian to be righteous and good, but show 



70 ^Jaiearto. 

him to be good, righteous, and holy. So, then, 
like as Christ's Grodhead was the cause that 
he wrought miracles; even so faith, working 
through love, is the cause of the good works 
that a Christian man doeth. And, like as a 
man may say of Jesus Christ, that he hath done 
this miracle or that, and that those miracles, be- 
sides that they glorified Grod, were also a great 
honour unto Jesus Christ as he was man, who 
for his obedience even unto death was recom- 
pensed at Grod's hand in his resurrection, and 
had given unto him all power both in heaven 
and earth, which he had not afore as in respect 
of his manhood, but deserved it by the union 
which is betwixt the Word of Grod and the 
manhood of Christ; so doth faith in a Christian; 
which faith, by reason of the union that it hath 
with the soul, attributeth that thing to the one 
which is proper to the other. Whereupon it 
cometh that the holy Scripture promiseth the 
Christian everlasting life for his good works; 
because good works are the fruits and testimonies 
of lively faith, and proceed of it, as light pro- 
ceeded from a flame of fire ; according as I have 
said heretofore. And by this holy faith which 
embraceth Jesus Christ it cometh to pass that our 
soul is joined with Christ, and is so united and 



^aicaue. 71 

knit to hiui that, whatsoever Christ hath merited 
and deserved, the same is imputed unto the soul, 
as though it had merited and deserved it. And 
therefore St. Austin saith that "God crown eth 
his own gifts in us."* 

Of this union of the soul with Jesus Christ 
Christ himself beareth good record, where he 
pray eth to his Father for his apostles, and for 
such as should believe in him by their preach- 
ing. "I pray not (saith he) for them only, 
but also for all those that shall believe in me 
through their word, to the end they may be all 
one thing; that, like as thou, my Father, art in 
me, and I in thee, so they also may be one in 
us, and that the world may believe that thou 
hast sent me, and that I have given them the 
glory which thou hast given me, so as they 
should be one self-same thing, like as thou and 
I are one."f Whereby it appeareth evidently 
that, if we believe the word of the apostles 
(who preached that Jesus Christ "died for our 
sins, and rose again for our justification" J), we 
become all one thing with him; and, forasmuch 

[* August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. Ad Sixt. Epist. cxciv. cap. v. 19, 
torn. ii. col. 720. A similar expression occurs in several other 
places of this father; e.g. In Psalm, cii. Enarr. 7, torn. iv. col. 
1116.] 

f John xvii. 20-22, % Rom. iv. 25. 



72 %Jalearto. 

as he is all one with God, we also become all 
one with God, by the mean of Jesus Christ.* 
wonderful glory of the Christian ! to whom 
it is granted through faith to possess the un- 
speakable benefits which the angels long to 
behold ! 

By this present discourse a man may plainly 
perceive the difference that is betwixt us and 
them that defend the justification by faith and 
works together. Herein we agree with them, 
that we stablish works, affirming that the faith 
which justifieth cannot be without good works, 
and that those which are become righteous are 
they that do the good works that may rightly 
be called good works.f But we differ from 
them in this, that we say that faith maketh 
men righteous without the help of works. And 
the reason is ready, namely, because that by 
faith we "put on Christ," J and make his 
holiness and righteousness to be ours. And, 
seeing the ease so standeth that Christ's right- 
eousness is given us by faith, we cannot be 
bo thankless, blind, and unhappy, as not to 
believe that he is of sufficient ability to make 
us acceptable and righteous before God. Let 
us say with the apostle, "If the blood of oxen 

* 2 Cor. vi. 16. f 1 Pet. ii. 12. J Gal. fii, 28, 27. 



SaUario. 73 

and goats, and the ashes of a cow sprinkled, 
cleanseth the unclean, as touching the cleansing 
of the flesh; how much more shall the blood 
of Jesus Christ, who by the everlasting Spirit 
offered himself undefined unto God, cleanse our 
consciences from dead works, to serve the living- 
God I"* 

I pray thee now, thou good and devout Chris- 
tian, consider well which of these two opi- 
nions is the truest, holiest, and worthiest to be 
preached; ours, which advanceth the benefit 
of Jesus Christ, and pulleth down the pride of 
man which would exalt his own works against 
Christ's glory; or the other, which, by affirming 
that faith of itself justifieth not, defaceth the 
glory and benefit of Jesus Christ, and puffeth up 
the pride of man, who cannot abide to be jus- 
tified freely by our Lord Jesus Christ, without 
some merit of his own. But, say they, it is a 
great quickening up to good works to say that 
a man maketh himself righteous before God by 
means of them. I answer, that we also confess 
that good works are acceptable to God, and 
that he, of his mere grace and free liberality, 
recompenseth them in paradise. But we say, 
moreover, that no works are good, saving those 

* Heb. ix. 13, 14. 

7 



74 #aleauo. 

that (as St. Austin saith) are done by them 
that are become righteous through faith; be- 
cause that, if the tree be not good, it cannot 
yield good fruit.* 

And, furthermore, we say that such as are 
become righteous through faith, forasmuch as 
they know themselves to be righteous through 
God's righteousness, purchased by Christ, make 
no bargaining with God for their works, as 
though they would buy their manner of justifi- 
fication, such as it is, with them; but, being 
inflamed with the love of God, and desirous 
to glorify Jesus Christ, who hath made them 
righteous by giving them his merits and riches, 
they bestow all their whole study and labour 
to do God's will, fighting manfully against the 
love of themselves, and against the world and 
the devil. And, when they fall through frailty 
of the flesh, they recover themselves by-and-by, 
and are so much the more desirous to do good, 
and so much the more in love with their God, 
considering that he layeth not their sins to 
their charge, because they be ingraffed into 
Jesus Christ; who hath made full amends for 
all his members, upon the tree of his cross, and 

[* August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. De Verb. Evang.Matt. xii. Sarin. 
Lxxii. 1, torn. t. col. 404.] 



$aiearto. 75 

inaketh continual intercession for them to the 
eternal Father, who, for the love of his only- 
begotten Son, beholdeth them always with a 
gentle countenance, governing and defending 
them as his most dear children, and in the end 
giving them the heritage of the world, making 
them like-fashioned to the glorious image of 
Christ. 

These loving motions are the spurs that 
prick forward the true Christians to do good 
works ; who, considering that they are become 
the children of God through faith, and made 
partakers of his divine nature, are stirred up, 
by the Holy G-host dwelling in them, to live as 
it becometh the children of so great a Lord, 
and are greatly ashamed that they maintain 
not the beauty of their heavenly noblesse ; and 
therefore they employ their whole endeavour 
to the following of their first-born Brother, 
Jesus Christ, living in great lowliness and meek- 
ness, in all things seeking the glory of God, 
giving their lives for their brethren, doing good 
to their enemies, glorying in the sufferance of 
reproaches, and in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ,* and saying with Zachary, " We be de- 
livered out of the hand of our enemies, to serve 

* Gal.vi. 14. 



76 Valtano. 

God without fear, in holiness and righteous- 
ness, all the days of our life."* They say with 
St. Paul, "The grace of the Lord is appeared 
to abolish all wickedness and all worldly desires 
in us, to the end we should live a sober, holy, 
and honest life in this world, waiting for the 
blessed hope, and for the glorious appearing of 
the great God and Saviour."f These and such 
other like thoughts, desires, and affections, are 
wrought by inspired faith in the souls of them 
that are become righteous. And, as for him 
that either wholly or partly feeleth not these 
godly affections and operations in his heart, 
but is given over to the flesh and the world, 
let him assure himself that he hath not yet the 
justifying faith, nor is the member of Christ ; 
because he hath not Christ's Spirit, and conse- 
quently is none of his; J and he that is none 
of Christ's is no Christian. 

Then let man's wisdom cease henceforth to 
fight against the righteousness of the most holy 
faith; and let us give all the glory of our jus- 
tification to the merits of Jesus Christ, with 
whom we be clothed thorough faith.§ 

* Luke i. 74, 75. t Titus ii. 11-13. 

t Rom. viii. 9. g Gal. iii. 26, 27. 



ilalearto. 77 



THE FIFTH CHAPTER. 

IN WHAT WISE THE CHRISTIAN IS CLOTHED WITH 
JESUS CHRIST. 

Although that by the things aforesaid a 
man may easily and plainly enough perceive 
how a Christian may clothe himself with Jesus 
Christ, yet, nevertheless, I mind to speak a 
little of it, assuring myself that unto the good 
and faithful Christian it can seem neither 
grievous nor troublesome to speak thereof, 
although the thing were repeated a thousand 
times. Therefore I say that the Christian 
knoweth that Jesus Christ, together with all 
his righteousness, holiness, and innocency, is 
his own through faith. And, like as when a 
man purposeth to present himself before some 
great lord or prince, he laboureth to array him- 
self in some fair and costly apparel; even so, 
when the Christian is decked and arrayed with 
the innocency of Christ and with all his per- 
fection, he presenteth himself boldly before Grod 
the Lord of all, assuring himself that, through 
7* 



78 laleauo. 

Christ's merits, lie is in as good case as if he 
had purchased all that which Jesus Christ hath 
purchased and deserved. And, truly, faith 
maketh every of us to possess Christ, and all 
that is his, as we possess our own garment. 

And, therefore, to be clothed with Jesus 
Christ is nothing else but to believe for a cer- 
tainty that Christ is wholly ours ; and so is he 
in very deed, if we believe so, and hold our- 
selves assured that by the same heavenly gar- 
ment we be received into favour before God. 
For it is most certain that he, as a most dear 
Father, hath given us his Son, meaning that all 
his righteousness, and all that ever he is, can, or 
hath done, should be in our power and jurisdic- 
tion, in such wise as it should be lawful for us 
to make our boast of them, as if we had done, 
purchased, and deserved them by our own 
strength. And whosoever believeth this shall 
find that his belief is good and true ; as we 
have showed heretofore. Then must the Chris- 
tian have a steadfast faith and belief, that all 
the goods, all the graces, and all the riches of 
Jesus Christ are his ; for, sith that God hath 
given us Jesus Christ himself, how should it 
be possible that he hath not given us all things 



^alearto: 79 

with him ?* Now if this be true, as true it is 
indeed, the Christian may rightly say, I am the 
child of God; and Jesus Christ is my brother. 
I am lord of heaven and earth, and of hell, and 
of death, and of the law ; insomuch as the law 
cannot accuse me, nor lay any curse upon me, 
because the righteousness of God is become 
mine. And this faith is it alone that maketh 
a man to be called a Christian, and which 
clotheth him with Jesus Christ; as we have 
said afore. And boldly may this be called a 
great mystery, where-under are contained mar- 
vellous things, and things not heard of, concern- 
ing the great God, which cannot enter into 
man's heart, except God do first soften it with 
his holy grace ; as he hath promised to do by his 
holy prophet, saying, "1 will give you a new 
heart, and I will put a new mind into you, and 
I will take away the stony heart out of your 
body, and I will give you a heart of flesh. "j- 

Now then, he, that believeth not after the 
said manner that Jesus Christ with all the 
goods that he possesseth is his, cannot call him- 
self a true Christian, nor ever have a quiet and 
joyful conscience, nor a good and fervent cou- 
rage to do good, but shall easily faint in doing 

* Rom. viii. 32. [f Ezek. xxxvi. 26.] 



80 ^alearto. 

of good works; yea, and moreover, he shall 
never be able to do works that are truly good. 
This only belief and trust that we have in the 
merits of Jesus Christ maketh men true Chris- 
tians, stout, cheerful, merry, lovers of Grod, ready 
to do good works, possessors of God's kingdom 
and of Glod himself, and his right dear-beloved 
children, in whom the Holy Grhost doth truly 
dwell. What heart is so cowardly, cold, and 
vile, which, considering the inestimable great- 
ness of the gift that Grod hath bestowed upon 
him, in giving him his own so well-beloved 
Son with all his perfectness, is not 
Christ the inflamed with an exceeding earnest 
ample of desire to become like unto him in 
good works ? specially seeing that the 
Father hath given him unto us for an example 
whereon we must continually look, framing our 
life after such a sort as it may be a true coun- 
terpain* of the life of Jesus Christ ; forasmuch 
as Christ, as saith St. Peter, " hath suffered for 
us, leaving us an ensample, to the end that we 
should follow his footsteps/ 'f 

Out of this consideration issueth another 
kind of clothing of a man's self with Christ, 
which we may term an example-clothing; for- 

[* Counterpaiu: counterpart.] 1 Pet. ii. 21. 



^aUarto* 81 

sonmch as the Christian must frame his whole 
life after the example of Christ, fashioning 
himself like unto him in all his deeds, words, 
and thoughts, leaving his former wicked life, 
and decking himself with the new life, that is 
to wit, with the life of Christ.* By reason 
whereof St. Paul saith, "Let us cast away 
the works of darkness, and put on the armour 
of light ; not in feasting, nor in drunkenness, 
nor in chambering and wantonness, nor in 
strife ; but put upon you the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and make no preparation for the flesh, nor for 
the lusts thereof."f Hereupon the true Chris- 
tian, being in love with Jesus Christ, saith in 
himself, Sith that Jesus Christ, not having any 
need of me, hath redeemed me with his own 
blood, and is become poor to enrich me; I will 
likewise give my goods, yea, and my very life, 
for the love and welfare of my neighbour. 
And, like as I am clothed with Jesus Christ, 
for the love he hath borne to me, so will I have 
my neighbour in Christ to clothe himself with 
me, and with my goods likewise, for the love 
that I bear him for Christ'.s sake. He that 
doth not so is no true Christian, for he cannot 
say that he loveth Jesus Christ, if he love not 

* Eph. iv. 22-24. f Rom. xiii. 12-14. 



82 IJaleauo. 

the members and brothers of him; and, if we 
love not our neighbour, for whose sake Christ 
hath shed his blood, we cannot truly say that 
we love Jesus Christ; who, being equal with 
God, was obedient to his Father, even to the 
death of the cross,* and hath loved and re- 
deemed us, giving himself unto us, with all 
that ever he hath. After the same manner, 
we, being rich and having abundance of good 
things at Christ's hand, must also be obedient 
unto God, to offer and give our works and all 
that we have, yea, and even ourselves, to our 
neighbours and brethren in Jesus Christ, serving 
them and helping them at their need, and 
being to them as another Christ. And, like as 
Jesus Christ was lowly and gentle, and far from 
all debate and strife,f so must we set our whole 
mind upon lowliness and meekness, eschewing 
all strife and impatience, as well which consist 
in words and reasoning, as in deeds. And, as 
Jesus Christ hath endured all the persecutions 
and spites of the world for the glory of God, 
so must we with all patientness cheerfully bear 
the persecutions and reproaches that are done 
by false Christians to all such as will live faith- 
fully in Jesus Christ^ who gave his life for 

* Phil. ii. 6, 8. f Matt, xii. 19. + 2 Tim. ii. 12. 



33aleauo. 83 

his enemies, and prayed for them upon the 
cross : and so must we also pray always for our 
enemies, and willingly spend our life for their 
welfare. 

And this is to follow Christ's steps; accord- 
ing as St. Peter saith. For, when we know 
Jesus Christ with all his riches to be our own 
good (which thing is to be clothed with Christ 
and to become pure and clean without spot), 
there remaineth nothing more for us to do, but 
to glorify God by following the life of Jesus 
Christ, and to do to our brethren as Christ 
hath done to us; and specially forsomuch as 
we be warranted by his word that, whatsoever 
we do to his brethren and ours, he accepteth 
it as a benefit done to himself. And, doubtless, 
seeing that the true Christians are the members 
of Christ, we cannot do either good or evil to 
the true Christians, but we do it likewise unto 
Christ; insomuch that he rejoiceth or suffer eth 
in his members. Therefore, like as Jesus Christ 
is our clothing by faith, so also must we through 
love become the clothing of our brethren, and 
have as good care of them as of our own bodies ; 
for they be members of our body, whereof Christ 
is the Head. 

And this is the godly love and charity which 



84 lalearto. 

springetli and proceedeth of the true unfeigned 
faith, which God hath breathed into his elect; 
which faith, as saith St. Paul, "worketh by 
love."* Howbeit, forasmuch as the life of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, wherewithal we must be 
clothed,-j- was a continual cross, full of troubles, 
reproaches, and persecutions; if we will fashion 
ourselves like unto his life, we must continually 
bear the cross; J as he himself saith, " If any 
man will come after me, let him forsake himself, 
and take up his cross and follow me."§ 

But the chief cause of this cross is, for that 
our God purposeth to mortify the affections of 
our mind, and the lusts of our flesh, by that ex- 
ercise; to the end we may conceive in ourselves 
the great perfection wherein we be comprised 
by our Lord Jesus Christ, by being graffed into 
him. || Also his will is that our faith, being 
fined like gold in the furnace of troubles, should 
shine bright to his glory. ^f Moreover, his in- 
tent is that we, by our infirmities, should set out 
his great power, which the world, in despite of 
it, beholdeth in us; inasmuch as our frailty 
cometh strong by troubles and persecutions, 
and, the more that it is beaten down and op- 
pressed, so much the more is it strong and stead- 

[*Gal.v. 6.] t Rom. xiii. 14. %2 Tim. ii. 11, 12; Gal. v. 24. 
i Luke ix. 23. |j John xv. 5. f Phil. iii. 10, 20, 21. 



EaUauo. 85 

fast.* Whereof the apostle St. Paul saith, " We 
carry this treasure in earthen vessels, that the 
excellency of the power might be God's and 
not ours. On all sides we suffer tribulation, 
but we are not overcome : we be poor, but not 
overcome of poverty : we suffer persecution, but 
yet are we not forsaken : we be despised, but 
yet we perish not; and so we daily bear about 
us the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ in our 
body, that the life of Jesus Christ may also be 
openly showed in ns/'f And, seeing the case 
is so, that our Lord Jesus Christ and all his 
dear disciples glorified God by tribulations, let 
us also embrace them joyfully, and say with 
the apostle St. Paul, " God forbid that I should 
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ;" J and let us so deal, as the world may 
(whether it will or no perceive) and see with 
his eyes the wonderful effects that God worketh 
in such as sincerely embrace the grace of his 
gospel. Let us so deal, I say, as the worldlings 
may see with how great quietness of mind the 
true Christians endure the loss of their goods, the 
death of their children, slanders, the diseases of 
the body, and the persecutions of false Christians; 

* 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. t 2 Cor. iv. 7-10. 

JGal.vi. 14. 



86 Balearic. 

and also that they may see how the only true 
Christians do worship God in spirit and truth, 
taking in good worth at his hand whatsoever 
happeneth, and holding all that he doth to be 
good, rightful, and holy, praising him always 
for the same, whether it be in prosperity or 
adversity, thanking him as a most gracious and 
loving Father, and acknowledging it for a right 
great gift of God's goodness to suffer any ad- 
versity, and chiefly for the gospel and for follow- 
ing the steps of Christ; specially forasmuch as we 
know that "tribulation engendereth patience, 
After what anc ^ V^ ence trial, and trial hope, and 
engendereth no P e maketh us not ashamed."* I 
trial, sa y that patience engendereth trial ; 

because that, whereas God hath promised help 
in trouble to such as trust in him, we find it 
by experience, in that we continue strong and 
steadfast all the while, and are upholden by the 
hand of God; which thing we could not do 
with all the powers that we have of our own. 
So then, by patience we find that our Lord 
giveth us the help that he hath promised us at 
our need, whereby our hope is confirmed. And 
it were an over-great unthankfulness, not to trust 
to such an aid and favour for the time to come, 



Balearic, 8T 

as we have found by experience to be so certain 
and steadfast heretofore. But what need we so 
mauy words ? It ought to suffice us to know 
that the true Christians are through tribulation 
clothed with the image of our Lord Jesus 
Christ crucified; which if we bear willingly 
and with a good heart, we shall in the end be 
clothed with the image of Jesus Christ glori- 
fied.* " For, as the passions of Jesus Christ 
do abound, so through him shall the consola- 
tions over-abound ;"f and, if we suffer with him 
here below for a time, we shall also reign with 
him there above forever. 

* Rom. viii. 17. f 2 Cor. i. 5. 



^aleauo. 



THE SIXTH CHAPTER 

CERTAIN REMEDIES AGAINST DISTRUST. 

But, forasmuch as the devil and man's wis- 
dom labour continually to dispossess us of this 
most holy faith, where-through we believe that 
all our sins are chastised and punished in Jesus 
Christ, and that through his most precious 
bloodshed we be reconciled to the Majesty of 
God ; it is very needful for a Christian to have 
his weapons always in a readiness to defend him- 
self from the said most mischievous temptation, 
which seeketh to bereave the soul of her life. 
Among the said weapons (in my judg- 
dies against nient) the mightiest and best are 
Mora of* d prayer, the often use of the holy coin- 

distrust. , i -i • /> -i i ■, 

munion, the remembering of holy bap- 
tism, and the minding of predestination. 

In our prayer we may well say with 

the father of the poor lunatic person 
of whom mention is made in the gospel of 
St. Mark, "Lord Jesus, help mine unbelief."* 



ilaiearto. 89 

Or else we may say with the apostles, "Lord, 
increase our faith."* And, if there reign in 
us a continual desire to grow in faith, hope, 
and love, we will "continually pray ;""j" as St. 
Paul instructeth us. For prayer is True 
nothing else but a fervent mind set- prayer - 
tied upon God. 

By the remembering of baptism we shall 
assure ourselves that we are at peace 
with God. And, forsomuch as St. ' 

Peter saith that the ark of Noe was a figure of 
baptism; therefore, like as Noe was saved from 
the flood by the ark, because he believed the 
promises of God, so also are we by faith saved 
in baptism from God's wrath. J Which faith 
is grounded upon the word of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who saith that "he which believeth and 
is baptized shall be saved. "§ And good right 
it is; for in baptism we put on Jesus Christ, || 
as the apostle St. Paul amrmeth, and conse- 
quently we be made partakers of his right- 
eousness, and of all his goods ; and under this 
precious robe the sins, that our frailty com- 
niitteth, lie hidden and covered, and are not 
imputed unto us. And so, according as St. 

* Luke xvii. 5. t 1 Thess. v. 17. 

X 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21. g Mark xvi. 16. 

jj Gal. iii. 27. 



90 $aiearto. 

Paul saith, the blessedness which the Psalmist 
speaketh of appertaineth to us; namely, " Blessed 
are they whose misdoings are forgiven, and 
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to 
whom the Lord imputeth not sin."* 

But it standeth a Christian in hand to take 
good heed that upon these words he take not 
liberty to sin; for this doctrine belongeth to 
none such as honour themselves with the name 
of Christians, confessing Christ with their 
mouth, and yet deny him in their deeds. But 
it concerneth the true Christians, who, though 
they fight manfully against the flesh, the world, 
and the devil, do notwithstanding fall daily, 
and are constrained to say, Lord, forgive us 
our offences. These are they to whom we 
speak, to comfort them, and to hold them up ; 
that they fall not into despair, as though the 
blood of Christ washed us not from all sin, aud 
that he were not our Advocate, and the atone- 
ment-maker for his members. 

And therefore, when we be provoked to doubt 
of the forgiveness of our sins, and that our 
own conscience beginneth to trouble us, then 
must we furnish ourselves with true faith, and 
out of hand have recourse to the precious blood 

* Rom. iv. 6-8 ; Peal, xxxii. 1, 2. 



ftaUauo. 91 

of Jesus Christ shed for us upon the altar of 
the cross, and distributed to his apostles 

, . , , , ., n Thesup- 

at his last supper, under the veil of a per of the 

-, . i Lord. 

most holy sacrament, which was or- 
dained by Christ, to the end that we should 
celebrate the remembrance of his death, and 
that by the same visible sacrament our troubled 
consciences might be assured of our atonement 
with God. The blessed Jesus Christ made his 
last will, when he said, "This is my body 
which is given for you;"* and, "This is my 
blood of the New Testament, which is shed for 
many, to the forgiveness of their sins."f We 
know that a testament (saith St. Paul) "al- 
though it be but a man's testament, yet, never- 
theless, if it be allowed, no man despiseth it or 
addeth any thing to it;" J and that no testa- 
ment is of force till the testator be dead, but 
hath full power after the party's decease. Then 
did Jesus Christ make his testament, wherein 
he promiseth forgiveness of sins, and the grace 
and good favour of himself and his Father, 
together with mercy and everlasting life. And, 
to the intent that the said testament should be 
of full force, he hath confirmed it with his own 
precious blood, and with his own death. By 

* Luke xxii. 19. f Matt. xxvi. 28. % Gal. iii. 15. 



92 ftaleauo. 

reason whereof, St. Paul saith that Jesus Christ 
is "the Mediator of the New Testament, that, 
by his dying for the redemption of those trans- 
gressions which were in the former testament, 
they that are called might receive the promise 
of the eternal inheritance. For, wheresoever is 
a testament, there must also be the death of 
the testator j for the testament is confirmed by 
the death of the party, insomuch as it is of 
no value so long as the maker of it is alive."* 
Wherefore we be very certain and assured by 
the death of Jesus Christ that his testament is 
available, whereby all our misdeeds are par- 
doned, and we made heirs of eternal life. 

And for a token and faithful pledge hereof, 
irenams instead of a seal, he hath left us this 
ht>. i. divine sacrament; which not only 

giveth our souls assured hope of their everlast- 
ing salvation, but also warranteth unto us the 
immortality of our flesh, forasmuch as it is 
even now quickened by that immortal flesh of 
his, and in a certain manner becometh partaker 
of the immortality thereof ;f and he that is 
partaker of that divine flesh by faith shall not 
perish forever.| But unto him that receiveth 

* neb. ix. 15-16. 

\[ Iren. Op. Par. 1710. Cont. Haer. lib. iv. cap. xviii. 5. p. 251. 
Couf. lib. v. cap. ii. 3, p. 294.] t John vi - 54 - 



^alearto. 93 

it without the said faith it turneth to a danger- 
ous poison ; because that, like as when bodily- 
sustenance findeth the stomach encumbered 
with evil humours, it corrupteth likewise and 
worketh great annoyance ; even so, if this spi- 
ritual food light into a sinful soul that is full 
of malice and misbelief, it casteth it headlong 
into some greater ruin, not through it* own de- 
fault, but because that to the unclean and un- 
believer all things are unclean ; notwithstanding 
that the things be sanctified by the Lord's bless- 
ing. For (as saith St. Paul) "he, that eateth 
of that bread and drinketh of that cup what is 
unworthily, is guilty of the body and notmakLg 
blood of the Lord," and a he eateth J nce ofthe 
and drinketh his own damnation, be- Lord ' sbod y' 
cause he maketh no difference of the Lord's 
body/'f For he maketh no difference of the 
Lord's body, which presumeth to the Lord's 
supper without faith and charity. And, for- 
asmuch as he believeth not that body H e that re- 
to be his life, and the cleanser of all JJcrament 18 
his sins, he maketh Jesus Christ a liar, ESfwif to 
and treadeth the Son of God under g?^ 
foot, and esteemeth the blood of the ^jg* d an 
testament, whereby he was sanctified, of Chnst. 

[* The old form for its.] t 1 Cor. xi. 27, 29. 



94 ^alearto, 

but as a common or worldly thing, and doeth 
great wrong to the Spirit of grace, and he 
shall be punished very sore at God's hand, for 
this his unbelief and wicked hypocrisy. For, 
whereas he reposeth not the trust of his justifi- 
cation in the passion of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ, yet nevertheless he receiveth this 
most holy sacrament, and maketh protestation 
that he putteth not his trust in any other thing. 
Whereby he accuseth himself, and is a witness 
of his own iniquity, and condemneth himself 
to everlasting death, by refusing the life which 
God promiseth him in that holy sacrament. 

And in this point, when the Christian feel- 
verycom- e th that his enemies are like to 

fortable 

counsel. overcome him ; that is to wit, when 
he beginneth to doubt whether he have re- 
ceived forgiveness of his sins by Jesus Christ, 
and that he shall not be able to withstand the 
devil and his temptations, and that the accusa- 
tion of his own doubtful conscience comes to 
press him, so as he beginneth to fear lest hell- 
fire should swallow him up, and death hold 
him in his everlasting bands by reason of God's 
wrath ; I say, when the good Christian feeleth 
himself in such agony, let him get him to this 
holy sacrament with a good heart and stout 



Balearic 95 

courage, and receive it devoutly, saying in 
his heart, and answering his enemies thus: I 
confess I have deserved a thousand hells, and 
everlasting death, by reason of the great sins 
which I have committed. But this heavenly 
sacrament, which I receive at this present, 
assureth me of the forgiveness of all mj mis- 
doings, and of mine atonement with God. For, 
if I have an eye to my works, there is no doubt 
but I acknowledge myself a sinner, and condemn 
mine own self in such wise, as my conscience 
should never be quiet, if I should think that 
my sins are pardoned me for my works' sake. 
But, when I look to the promises and cove- 
nants of G-od, who promiseth me forgiveness of 
my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ, I am as 
sure that I have obtained it, and that I have 
his favour, as I am sure that he which hath 
made the promises and covenants cannot lie 
nor deceive j and through this steadfast faith 
I become righteous by Christ's righteousness,* 
where-through I am saved, and my conscience 
quieted. Hath he not given his most innocent 
body into the hands of sinners for our sins? 
Hath he not shed his blood to wash away my 
iniquities? Why then dost thou vex thyself, 

* Rom. iv. 5, 24. 



96 ^aUarto. 

O my soul? put thy trust in the Lord, who 
beareth thee so great love, that, to deliver thee 
from eternal death, it hath pleased him that 
his only Son should suffer death and passion, 
who hath taken upon himself our poverty, to 
give us his riches; laid our weakness upon 
himself, to stablish us in his strength; become 
mortal, to make us immortal ; come down unto 
the earth, to advance us up to heaven; and 
become the Son of man with us, to make us 
the children of God with himself. "Who is 
he then that shall accuse us ? God is he that 
justifieth us; and who shall condemn us? 
Jesus Christ is dead for us, yea, and risen again 
for us, and he sitteth at the right hand of God, 
making intercession for us."* 

Let us then, my soul, leave off these tears 
and sighs. 

If The ciii. Psalm. 

1. My soul, praise thou the Lord, and all that 
is within me praise his holy name. 

2. My soul, praise thou the Lord, and forget 
not all his benefits; 

3. Which forgiveth all thine iniquity, and 
healeth all thine infirmities; 

4. Which redeemeth thy life from the grave, 

* Rom. viii. 33, 34. 



laiearto, 97 

and crowneth thee with mercy and compas- 
sion; 

5. Which satisfieth thy mouth with good 
things; and thy youth is renewed like the 
eagle's. 

6. The Lord executeth righteousness and 
judgment to all that are oppressed. 

7. He made his ways known unto Moses, and 
his works unto the children of Israel. 

8. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, 
slow to anger, and of great kindness. 

9. He will not alway chide, neither keep his 
anger forever. 

10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, 
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.* 

11. For, as high as the heaven is above the 
earth, so great is his mercy toward them that 
fear him. 

12. As far as the east is from the west, so far 
hath he removed our sins from us. 

13. As a father hath compassion on his chil- 
dren, so hath the Lord compassion on them 
that fear him. 

14. For he knoweth whereof we he made, he 
remembereth that we are but dust. 

15. The days of man are as grass : as a flower 
of the field so flourisheth he. 

9 



98 ^aleano. 

16. For the wind goeth over it; and it is 
gone; and the place thereof shall know it no 
more. 

17. But the loving-kindness of the Lord en- 
dureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him ; 
and his righteousness upon children's children; 

18. Unto them that keep his covenant, and 
think upon his commandments to do them. 

19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in 
heaven; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 

20. Praise the Lord, ye his angels, that excel 
in strength, that do his commandment in obey- 
ing the voice of his word. 

21. Praise the Lord, all ye his hosts, ye his 
servants that do his pleasure. 

22. Praise the Lord, all ye his works, in all 
places of his dominion: my soul, praise thou 
the Lord. 

So hath he had mercy on us, in giving us his 
only Son. With this faith, with these thanks- 
givings, with these or such other like thoughts, 
must we receive the sacrament of the body and 
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.* 

* [There is here a remarkable difference between the editions of 
1573, 1633, and 1638. The latter, instead of Let us then, my soul. 
&c, pp. 86-88, have : Wherefore say with David, " Wby art thou 
heavy, my soul, and why dost thou trouble me ?"* dost thou 

[* Psal. xlii. 5.] 



Balearic 99 

After this manner is all fearfulness driven 
out of the soul of the Christian ; and charity is 
increased, faith strengthened, the conscience 
quieted, and the tongue never ceaseth to praise 
Grod, and to yield him infinite thanks for so 

gee nothing but the law, sin, wrath, heaviness, death, hell, and the 
devil? Is there not now to be seen grace, remission of sins, right- 
eousness, consolation, joy, peace, life, heaven, Christ, and God? 
Trouble me no more then, my soul ; for what is the law ? what is 
sin ? what is death and the devil in comparison of these things^ 
Therefore, trust in God, who hath not spared his own dear Son, but 
given him to the death of the cross for thy sins, and hath given 
thee victory through him. 

This is the sweet doctrine of the gospel, which I desire that all 
Christians could receive with thanksgiving and an assured faith ; for 
then would Christ be nothing but joy and sweetness to them; then 
would they take heart in the victory of Christ's death, who indeed 
was made a curse for us, subject to wrath, putting upon him our 
person, and laid our sins upon his own shoulders, and he hath 
made with us this happy change, that is to say, he took upon him 
our sinful person, and gave unto us his innocent and victorious 
person, wherewith we being now clothed are free from the curse 
of the law. 

And therefore may every poor sinner say, with an assured confi- 
dence, Thou, Christ, art my sin, and my curse ; or, rather, I am 
thy sin, and thy curse ; and, contrariwise, thou art my righteous- 
ness, my blessing, and my life, my grace of God, and my heaven 
And thus, if we by faith do behold this brazen serpent, Christ 
hanging upon the cross, we shall see the law, sin, death, the devil, 
and hell killed by his death, and so may, with the apostle Paul, 
sing that joying-heart-ditty : "Thanks be to Gcd who hath given 
us victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."* 

And so, with these thanksgivings, with these or such other like 
thoughts, must we receive the sacrament of the body and blood 
of our Lord Jesus Christ.] 

* [1 Cor. xv. 57.] 



100 ^aleavto. 

great a benefit. This is the virtue, efficacy, 
and only trust of our soul. This is the Rock 
whereupon if the conscience be builded, it 
feareth nother tempest, nor the gates of hell, nor 
God's wrath, nor the law, nor sin, nor death, 
nor the devils, nor any other thing. And, for- 
asmuch as the substance of the Lord's supper 
and table consisteth in this divine sacrament, 
when the Christian is at it, he must hold his 
e'yes fastened continually upon the passion of 
our gracious Saviour; beholding him on the 
one side upon the cross loaden with all our sins, 
and God on the other side punishing, chas- 
tising, and whipping his own only-begotten and 
dear-beloved Son instead of us. 0, happy is 
that man that shutteth his eyes from all other 
sights, and will nother hear nor see any other 
thing than Jesus Christ crucified ; in whom are 
laid up and bestowed all the treasures of God's 
wisdom and divine knowledge ! Blessed, say I, 
is he that feedeth his mind with so heavenly 
a food, and maketh himself drunken in the love 
of God with so sweet and singular a liquor. 

But, before I make an end of this matter, I 
will first advertise the Christian that St. Austin 
hath ordinarily been wont to term this holy 
sacrament " the bond of charity" and " the 



Balearic. 101 

mystery of unity." And he saith that "who- 
soever receiveth the mystery of unity, and re- 
gardeth not the bond of peace, re- Why the 
ceiveth not the sacrament to his own ment 8 *"*" 
behoof, but as a witness against him- Sj^rafS- 
self."* Therefore we must under- daIned ' 
stand that the Lord hath ordained this holy 
sacrament not only to make us sure of the for- 
giveness of our sins, but also to inflame us to 
peace, unity, and brotherly charity. For in 
this sacrament the Lord doth after such a man- 
ner make us partakers of his body, as he be- 
cometh all one thing with us, and we with him. 
By reason whereof, forasmuch as he hath but 
one body whereof he maketh us partakers, it 
is meet that we also should by such christian 
partaking become all one body to- union are 

., <■ * t ji • betokened 

getner among ourselves. And this by the 
union is represented by the bread of w r ine. an 
the sacrament; which as it is made of many 
grains mingled and kneaded together, in such 
wise as one of them cannot be discerned from 
another; so also must we be joined together 
after such a sort, and so united together into 

[* August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. Ad Infant. Serm. cclxxii. torn, 
v. col. 1104 ; sacramentum pietatis, 6 signum unitatis, 6 vinculum 
caritatis. — Id. in Johan. Evang. cap. vi. Tractat. xxvi. 13, torn. iii. 
pars ii. col. ■499.] 

9* 



102 Balearic. 

one agreement of mind as no division may 
creep in. And this doth St. Paul show us 
when he saith, "Is not the cup of blessing 
which we bless the communion of the blood 
of Jesus Christ ? is not the bread that we break 
the communion of the body of Jesus Christ ? 
Whereas we be many, yet are we but one bread 
and one body, forsomuch as we be all par- 
takers of one bread."* By these things we 
understand that, when we receive this most 
holy communion, we must consider that we are 
all of us ingraffed into Christ, and are all be- 
come members of one self-same body, that is to 
wit, of Jesus Christ, in such wise as we cannot 
offend, defame, or despise any of our brethren, 
He that but we must therewithal offend, de- 
one^ofhis fame, and despise our said Head, 
brethren Jesus Christ; neither can we be at 
Cbrfet Mm- variance with any of our brethren, 
belf> but in like wise we must be at odds 

with him. Also we cannot love him, except 
we love him in our brethren. Look how 
much care we have of our own body, so much 
must we have of our Christian brethren, who 
are the members of our body. And, like as 
no part of our body feeleth any grief which 

[*lCor. X. 16, 17.] 



©aUario. 103 

spreadeth not itself into all the other parts, 
so ought we to determine with ourselves, that 
our brother feeleth not any inconvenience which 
should not move us to compassion! With such 
manner of thoughts must we prepare ourselves 
to this holy sacrament, quickening up our 
spirits with a fervent love to our a prepara- 
neighbour-ward. For what greater receiving of 
spur can we have to prick us to love sacrament, 
one another than to see that Jesus Christ, by 
giving himself unto us, not only allureth us 
to give ourselves one to another, but also, by 
making himself common to us all, maketh us 
also to be all one self-same thing in him ? In 
respect whereof, we ought to covet and procure 
that in all of us there may be but one mind, 
one heart, and one tongue, accorded and united 
together in thoughts, words, and deeds. 

And we must mark well that, as oft He that re- 
as we receive this holy and worthy sacrLnent 6 
sacrament, we bind ourselves to all the himself to 
duties of charity; as not to offend any Jutlea of 
of our brethren, nor to leave any thing chant y- 
undone, that may be profitable and helpful in 
their necessity. But, if there come any to this 
heavenly table of the Lord, that are divided at 
variance with their brethren, the same must 



104 ^aleario. 

assure themselves that they eat unworthily, and 
are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, 
and that they eat and drink their own damna- 
tion; for that there wanted nothing on their 
behalf, but that the body of Jesus Christ was 
rent and plucked in pieces again, whilst they 
by hatred are divided from their brethren, that 
is to wit, from the members of Jesus Christ, 
and have not any part with him, and yet never- 
theless, in receiving this holy communion, pre- 
tended to believe that their whole salvation 
The true consisteth in the participation and 
SSchthe union with Jesus Christ. Then let 
menus™" us go, my brethren, to the receiving 
ordained. f ^jg h eave nly bread, to celebrate 
the remembrance of our Lord's passion, and to 
strengthen and fortify the belief and assurance 
of the forgiveness of our sins with the remem- 
brance thereof, and to quicken up our minds 
and tongues to praise and exalt the infinite 
goodness of our God, and finally to cherish 
brotherly love, and to witness the same one to 
another by the strait* union which all of us 
have in the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Besides prayer, and the remembering of bap- 

[* Strait : close.] 



lalearto, 105 

tisni, and the often resorting to the The fourth 
most holy communion, there is one against 
other very good remedy against dis- 
trust and fearfulness, which is no less friend to 
Christian charity; namely, the remembrance of 
our predestination and election to eternal life, 
grounded upon the word of G-od, which is the 
sword of the Holy Grhost,* wherewith we may 
beat back our enemies. "Kejoice ye in this 
(saith the Lord), that your names are written in 
heaven."f There is no greater joy in this life, 
nor any thing that more comforteth the Chris- 
tian that is afflicted, tempted, or fallen into any 
sin, than the remembrance of predestination, 
and the assuring of ourselves that we be of the 
number whose names are written in the book 
of life, and which are chosen to be fashioned 
like unto the image of Jesus Christ. how 
unspeakable is the comfort of him that hath 
this faith, and museth continually in his heart 
upon this exceeding sweet predestination, where- 
by he knoweth that, although he fall often, 
yet, notwithstanding, G-od his Father, who hath 
fore-ordained him to everlasting life, holdeth 
him up, and reacheth out his hand unto him 
continually !J And he saith continually in him- 

* Eph. vi. 17. f Luke x. 20. % Peal, xxxvii. 24. 



106 Balearic. 

self, If God have chosen me and predestinated 
He that re- me to tne gl° r y °f n ^ s children, who 
gojef is he can hinder me ? " If God be with us 
he r fsp h rede S - ( saitl1 St - P aul )> wno can De against 
tinated. us?"* Nay rather, to the end that 
the predestination may be accomplished in us, 
he hath sent his dear-beloved Son, who is a most 
sure earnest-penny and pledge unto us, that we, 
which have received the grace of the gospel, are 
God's children, chosen to eternal life. 
The effect This holy predestination maintain- 

?f°the dmg etn the true Christian in a continual 
o^praies- 6 spiritual joy, increaseth in him the 
tmation. endeavour of good works, and in- 
flameth him with the love of God, and maketh 
him enemy to the world and to sin. Who is so 
fierce and hard-hearted, which, knowing that 
God of his mercy hath made him his child from 
everlasting, will not by-and-by be inflamed to 
love God ? Who is of so vile and base courage, 
that he will not esteem all the pleasures, all 
the honours, and all the riches of the world 
as filthy mire, when he knows that God hath 
made him a citizen of heaven ? Yea, these are 
they that worship God rightly in spirit and 
truth, receiving all things (as well in prosperity 



^aUarto. 107 

as in adversity) at the hand of God their Fa- 
ther, and evermore praising and thanking him 
for all, as their good Father, who is righteous 
and holy in all his works. These, being in- 
flamed with the love of God, and armed with 
the knowledge of their predestination, fear 
neither death, nor sin, nor the devil, nor hell ; 
neither know they what the wrath of God is; 
for they see none other thing in God but love 
and fatherly kindness towards them. And if 
they fall into any troubles, they accept them 
as tokens of God's favour, crying out with St. 
Paul, " Who is it that shall separate us from 
God's love? shall tribulations, shall anguish, 
shall persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or 
peril, or sword ? as it is written, For thy sake 
are we killed all the day long, and counted as 
sheep appointed to the slaughter. But in all 
these things we get the upper hand thorough 
him that hath loved us/'* Wherefore it is not 
for nought that St. John saith how the true 
Christians know right well that they must be 
saved and glorified, and that, by reason of the 
same affiance, they make themselves holy as 
Jesus Christ is holy.f And, when St. Paul ex- 
horteth his disciples to a good and holy life, he 

* Rom. viii. 35-37. f 1 John iii. 2, 3. 



108 IJaleauo. 

is wont to put them in remembrance of their 
election and predestination,* as of a thing of 
very great force to stir up the minds of the 
true Christians to the loving of God, and to the 
performance of good works. And for the same 
cause our good Lord Jesus Christ speaketh 
openly of this holy predestination,f as one that 
knew of how great importance the knowledge 
thereof is to the edifying of his elect. 

But perchance thou wilt say to me, I know 
well that they whose names are written in 
heaven have cause to live in continual joy, and 
to glorify God both J in word and deed; but I 
know not whether I am of that number or no, 
and therefore I live in continual fear, specially 
because I know myself to be an exceeding 
weak and frail sinner, from the violence where- 
of I am not able to defend myself but that I 
am overcome of it daily. And furthermore, 
forasmuch as I see myself continually afflicted 
and troubled with divers temptations, methinks 
I do as it were behold with mine eyes the 
wrath of God scourging me. To answer to 
these doubts of thine, I say, my right dear 
brother, that thou must assure thyself that all 
these are but temptations of the devil; who by 

• Eph. i. 4-6. [f Luke x. 20.] [J But, 1573.] 



■JjJaUauo. 109 



all means seeketli to rob us of that faith, and 
confidence that springeth of faith, and assureth 
us of God's good will towards us. He labour- 
eth to strip our soul out of this precious gar- 
ment; for he knoweth that none is a true 
Christian, except he believe God's word, which 
promiseth forgiveness of all sins, and peace to 
all them which accept the grace of the gospel. 
Verily I say that he, which, upon these pro- 
mises of God, persuadeth not himself assuredly 
that God is a merciful and loving Father unto 
him, nor with steadfast confidence looketh to 
receive the inheritance of the heavenly king- 
dom at his hand, is not faithful indeed, and 
maketh himself utterly unworthy of God's 
grace. In respect whereof St. Paul saith that 
" we be the temple of God, so far forth as we 
firmly maintain the confidence and glory of our 
hope unto the end."* And in another place 
he exhorteth us that we "should not give over 
our trust which hath great reward of recom- 
pense/^ And, therefore, my brethren, let us 
give our whole endeavour to do the will of God 
as it bccometh good children, and beware that 
we sin not, as near as we can. And, although 
we fall oftentimes into sin through our own 

* Heb. iii. 6. f Heb. x. 35. 

10 



110 }3aUaito. 

frailty, yet let us not by-and-by surmise that we 
be vessels of wrath, or that we be utterly for- 
saken of the Holy Ghost; for we have our 
Advocate Jesus Christ before God the Father; 
and he is the atonement-maker for our sins. 

Let us bethink us of the opinion of St. 
Austin, who saith that "none of the saints 
is righteous and without sin; and yet, notwith- 
standing that, he ceaseth not to be righteous 
and holy so far forth as he retain his holiness 
Afflictions w * tn affection."* And therefore, if 
Sensofre- we nave afflictions and tribulations, 
probation. j et us not ^[^ that God sends them 
because he is our enemy, but because he is our 
most loving Father. "The Lord (saith Solo- 
mon) chastiseth him whom he loveth, and 
scourgeth every child of his whom he receiv- 
eth."f Wherefore, if we have received the 
grace of the gospel, whereby man is received 
of God for his child, we must not doubt of 
a true God's grace and good-will towards 
know 'Sod's us - And, when we perceive ourselves 
children by. to flight in God's word, and to have 
a desire to follow the life of Jesus Christ, we 

[* August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. De Eccles. Dogmat. Lib. cap. liii. 
torn. viii. Append, col. 80. This treatise has often been quoted 
as Augustine's : it is, however, most probably the production of 
Gennadiu3.] fProv. Hi. 12. 



$alearto. Ill 

must steadfastly believe that we be the children 
of God, and the temple of the Holy Ghost. 
For those things cannot be done by the power 
of man's wisdom, but are the gifts of the Holy 
Ghost, who dwelleth in us by faith, and is as it 
were a seal of authority, which sealeth up God's 
promises in our hearts ; the certainty whereof is 
printed aforehand in our minds, and is given us 
as a pledge to stablish and confirm the same. 
"As soon as you believe (saith the apostle St. 
Paul), ye be sealed by the Holy Spirit of pro- 
mise, who is the earnest-penny of our inherit- 
ance."* Behold how he showeth US Wherefore 

hereby, that the hearts of the faithful £uS°tt!? 
are marked with the Holy Ghost, as $g%J£jfg 
it were with a seal; in respect whereof P romise - 
he calleth the Holy Ghost the Spirit of pro- 
mise, forsomuch as he confirmeth the promise 
of the gospel, the which (as I have often- 
times told you) is a happy tidings that promiseth 
forgiveness of sins and everlasting life to all 
such as believe that all their misdoings are 
blotted out in Jesus Christ. "All we that 
believe in Jesus Christ (saith St. Paul) are 
become the children of God;" and, "Because 
we be his children, he hath sent the Spirit of 

*Eph. i. IS, 14. 



112 ^alcarto. 

his Son into our heart, which crieth, Father, 
Father."* And to the Romans, " Those (saith 
he), that are guided by the Spirit of God, are 
the children of God ; for ye have not received 
again the spirit of bondage in fear, but the 
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Father, 
Father. For certainly the same Spirit beareth 
our spirit record that we be the children of 
God. Now then, if we be children, we be also 
heirs."f 

And we must mark well that, in these two 
places, the apostle St. Paul speaketh plainly, not 
of any special revelation, but of a certain record 
which the Holy Ghost doth commonly yield 
to all such as receive the grace of the gospel. 
Then, if the Holy Ghost assure us that we be 
God's children and heirs, why should we doubt 
of our predestination? The same man saith 
in the same epistle, "Whom he hath predes- 
tinated, them hath he also called j and, whom 
he hath called, them hath he also made right- 
eous; and, whom he hath made righteous, 
them also hath he glorified. What shall we 
then say to all these things? If 

A true J ° 

mark of Q d be on our side, who can be 

predesti- % t 

nation. against us f"J - And therefore, if I 

* Gal. iii. 26, iv. 6. f Rom. viii. 14-17. J Rom. viii. 30, 31. 



^laUarto. 113 

plainly perceive that God hath called me by 
giving me faith and the fruits of faith, that is 
to wit, peace of conscience, mortification of the 
flesh, and quickening of the spirit, whether it 
be in whole or in part, why should I doubt that 
I am not predestinated? And, moreover, we 
say with St. Paul, that all true Christians (that 
is to wit, all such as believe the gospel) "receive 
not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that 
cometh from God; by the inspiration whereof 
they discern the things that God hath given 
them:"* What marvel then is it if we know 
that God hath certainly given us everlasting life ? 
But there are some which say that no man 
ought to presume so far as to boast himself to 
have the Spirit of God. They speak in such 
wise as if the Christian should glory of the 
having of it for his own deserts, and not by 
the only and mere mercy of God ; and as though 
it were a presumptuousness to profess himself 
a Christian; or as though a man could be a Chris- 
tian without the having of Christ's Spirit yf 
or as though we could without flat hypocrisy 
say that Jesus Christ is our Lord, or call God 
our Father, if the Holy Ghost moved not our 
hearts and tongues to utter so sweet words. t 

* 1 Cor. ii. 12, f Rom. viii. 9. j 1 Cor. xii. 3. 



114 Balearic 



And yet, notwithstanding, even they, that count 
us presumptuous for saying that God hath given 
us his Holy Spirit with faith, forbid us not 
He that to say every day " Our Father," but 
not that he rather command us. But I would 

hath the 

Holy Ghost have them to tell me how it is possible 

is no true 

Christian. to separate faith and the Holy Ghost 
asunder • seeing that faith is the peculiar work 
of the Holy Ghost? If it be presumption to 
believe that the Holy Ghost is in us, why doth 
St. Paul bid the Corinthians try themselves 
whether they have faith or no, affirming them 
to be reprobates if they know not that Jesus 
Christ is in them ?* But, in very deed, it is 
a great blindness to accuse the Christians 
of presumptuousness for taking upon them to 
glory of the presence of the Holy Ghost j with- 
out which glorying there cannot be any Chris- 
tianity at all. But Jesus Christ, who cannot 
lie, saith that his Spirit is unknown to the 
world, and that they only do know him within 
whom he dwelleth.f Then let them begin to 
become good Christians, and put away their 
Jewish minds, and embrace the grace of the 
holy gospel in good earnest; and then shall 
they know that the good and true Christians 

[* 2 Cor. xiii. 5.] f John xiv. 17. 



$Jalearto. 115 

both have the Holy Ghost, and also acknowledge 
themselves to have him. 

But some one may say to me, that the Chris- 
tian cannot by any means know that he is in 
God's favour, without some special revelation ; 
and so consequently that he cannot know whe- 
ther he be predestinated or no. And he may 
specially allege these words of Solomon: "A 
man knoweth not whether he be worthy of 
hatred or of love;"* and also these words of 
the apostle St. Paul to the Corinthians, "I feel 
not myself guilty of any thing, and yet feel I 
not myself justified for all that."*j" It seemeth 
to be sufficiently declared by the Amanmay 
texts of holy Scripture, that the said £e? 8 W in hat; 
opinion is false; and now remaineth God's favour. 
only to be showed briefly that these two texts, 
whereupon the same opinion is chiefly grounded, 
ought not to be taken in that sense. As touch- 
ing Solomon's sentence, although it be scarce 
well and faithfully translated in the common 
translation ; yet is there not any man so dull, 
who, in reading Solomon's whole discourse, may 
not plainly perceive that by saying so he meant 
that, if any man will take upon him By the 
to judge by the casualties that happen this life, no 

* Ecclee. is. 1. t 1 Cor. iv. 4. 



116 $3 a lea no. 

man can [ n ^his life, who is loved or hated of 

judge whe- 
ther a man Q- 0( j h e labouretli in vain, consider- 

be in God's ; 7 

favour or [ n g t na t t ne self-same chances, which 

displeasure. ° 

light upon the righteous, light also 
upon the unrighteous ; upon him that sacrificeth, 
as well as upon him that sacrificeth not; and 
as soon upon the good man, as upon the sinner. 
Whereof it may be gathered that God doth not 
always show his love towards those whom he 
endueth with outward prosperities j and, con- 
trariwise, that he showeth not his displeasure 
towards those whom he punisheth. Then, my 
right dear brethren in Christ Jesus our Lord, 
do you think it reason to conclude that a man 
cannot be sure of God's favour, because the 
same sureness cannot be perceived by the sun- 
dry chances that happen every day in these 
transitory and temporal things ? A little afore, 
Solomon saith that a man cannot discern any 
difference between the soul of a man and the 
life of a beast ; for it is seen that both man and 
beast die after one manner.* Shall we then 
conclude, by this outward accident, that the 
persuasion which we have conceived of the 
immortality of the soul is grounded but only 
upon conjecture ? No, surely ; and it were a 

l* Ecclcs. iii. 19.1 



^alearto. 117 

great folly to stand upon a thing so notably 
known. 

And, as for St. Paul's words, I say that, 
forasmuch as he was speaking of the adminis- 
tration of the gospel, he meant that his heart 
misgives him not of any misdealing therein; 
and yet, for all that, that he is not sure he 
hath done his whole duty to the full, and 
therein obtained the praise of righteousness 
to God-ward, as if he had done all that per- 
tained and was convenient to be done by a 
faithful steward ; and therefore in speaking of 
his office, like a just and discreet person, he 
durst not justify himself, nor avow that he 
had discharged his duty to the uttermost, and 
satisfied his Lord's will, but referred all things 
to the only judgment of his Lord. And, verily, 
whosoever readeth these words of the apostle 
St. Paul, and considereth the words going afore 
them with some judgment, and likewise the 
words that follow, will not doubt but this is 
the true sense of them. I know well that 
some men, in expounding these words of the 
apostle St. Paul, say that, although he knew 
himself to be without sin, yet he knew not 
whether he were righteous to God- ward or no ; 
according as David affirmeth that no man can 



118 ftaUario. 

perfectly know his own sins.* But these men 
perceive not that St. Paul groundeth not right- 
eousness upon works but upon faith,f and that 
he utterly refuseth his own righteousness, to 
embrace only the righteousness which Gi-od 
hath given us thorough our Lord Jesus Christ. J 
Also, they consider not that he was most cer- 
tain to be accepted for righteous, in maintain- 
ing the soundness and pureness of the Chris- 
tian faith; and that he knew well how the 
crown of that righteousness was laid up for 
him in heaven ;§ and, also, that he was fully 
assured that no creature in heaven, earth, nor 
hell was able to separate him from the love of 
G-od ;|| and that he longed to die, because he 
knew for a truth that after his death he should 
be with Jesus Christ.^" All which things should 
be false, if he had not been well assured that 
he was righteous, I mean by faith, and not by 
works. Therefore, my dear-beloved brethren, 
let us cease to speak that thing of the apostle 
St. Paul which he never once thought of him- 
self, but fiercely fought against it continually, 
in answering such as measured righteousness 

[* Psal. xix. 12.] f Rom. iii. 28. v. 1, 18. % Phil. iii. 8, <.'. 
g 2 Tim. iv. 8. | Roto. viii. 38 3 00. «" Phil. i. 21-23. 



i? a I ear to. 119 

by works, and not by faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

But, besides these two authorities of Solo- 
mon and St. Paul, a man might allege some 
other places of holy Scripture, which, whereas 
they warn and encourage men to fear God, 
seem to be contrary to the assurance of this 
our predestination. And, if I would declare 
them all particularly, I should be over-long. 
But I say generally that the fear of punish- 
ment was proper to the Old Testament, and 
childly love to the New Testament; according 
as St. Paul witnesseth, when he saith to the 
Romans, "Ye have not received the The two 
spirit of bondage to fear, but ye have SS£f£a- 
received the Spirit of adoption, where- slavish - 
by we cry, Father, Father."* And likewise 
unto Timothy he saith that "Grod hath not 
given us the spirit of fearfulness, but rather of 
power and love;""!* which Spirit Jesus Christ 
hath given us according to the promises made 
by the mouth of the holy prophets, and brought 
to pass, "that we, being delivered out of our 
enemies' hands, may serve him without fear 
before his holy presence, in all holiness and 
righteousness all the days of our life."t 

* Horn, viii. 15. f 2 Tim. i. 7. [i Lukei. 70, 74, 75.] 



120 Balearic. 

By these and many other places of the holy 
Scripture, a man may plainly gather that the 
painful and slavish fearfulness agreeth not with 
a Christian; and this is already confirmed by 
this, that such manner of fearfulness is utterly 
contrary to the spiritual cheerfulness and joy, 
which is peculiar to the Christian j as the apos- 
tle St. Paul showeth openly to the Romans, 
saying that "the kingdom of God is righteous- 
ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;"* 
that is to say, that every man, which entereth 
into the kingdom of the grace of the gospel, 
is become righteous through faith ; and after- 
ward addeth peace of conscience, which con- 
sequently breedeth such a spiritual and holy 
rest and gladness, in respect whereof the same 
St. Paul doth oftentimes encourage the Chris- 
tians to live merrily.f And St. Peter saith 
that all they which believe in Jesus Christ do 
continually rejoice with an unspeakable and 
glorious joy, notwithstanding that they be af- 
The slavish flicted with divers temptations. t And 

fear threat- . 

eneththe therefore, when the holy Scripture 

wicked ■ 

and the threateneth and frayethS the Chris- 

childly . , -. i -. • 

fearencou- tians, they must understand that it 
chosen. speaketh to such as are so licentious, 

* Rom. xiv. 17. [f Eph. v. 19 ; Phil. iv. 4. 

X 1 Pet. i. 6, 8. [§ Frayeth : affrighteth.] 



Valeano. 121 

that, forsoniuch as they keep not the thankful- 
ness and honesty that belong to God's children, 
they must be handled as servants, and held 
in awe, until they come to taste and feel how 
sweet and pleasant the Lord is, and until such 
time as faith work his effects in them, and that 
they have so much childly love as may suffice 
to keep and maintain them in honesty of Chris- 
tian conversation and in following the example 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, when the self- 
same Scripture exhorteth the Christians to the 
true fear, it meaneth not that they should fear 
the judgment and wrath of God, as though 
it were presently ready to condemn them; for 
(as I have said already), by the record which 
the Holy Ghost giveth to their spirit, they 
know that God hath chosen them and called 
them, of his own mere mercy, and not for 
their deserts. By reason whereof they doubt 
not at all but that, by the self-same goodness 
and mercy, he will maintain them in the happy 
state wherein he hath placed them. And 
after such manner the Scripture exhorteth 
them not to slavish fear, but to childly fear, 
that is to wit, that like good children they 
should be loth to offend against the The effects 
Christian religion, or to commit any f ea r. * d y 



122 ^aleano. 

thing against the duty and honesty of God's 
true children, and likewise to grieve the Holy 
Ghost that dwelleth in them ;* to the end that, 
knowing the corruptedness of our nature, we 
should always be heedful and diligent, and 
never have any trust in ourselves; for in our 
flesh and in our minds do the appetites and 
affections continually dwell, which, as deadly 
enemies of the soul, lay a thousand snares and 
baits for us incessantly, labouring to make 
us proud, ambitious, lecherous, and covetous. 
This is the fear whereunto the whole Scripture 
exhorteth the Christians that have once tasted 
how sweet the Lord is, and which bestow all 
their endeavour in following Christ's footsteps, 
who cast not from them this holy fear, because 
they labour to put off the old man. 

And the good Christians must never bereave 
themselves quite and clean of this childly fear, 
which is the singular friend of Christian charity; 
like as the slavish fear is such an enemy unto 
it, as they can by no means dwell together. 
The Chris- And by the foresaid things a man may 
warrant" plainly perceive that the good Chris- 
forgrve- e tian ought never to doubt of the for- 
eins. 1S giveness of his sins, nor of God's 

* Bph. if. "0. 



tfalearto. 123 

favour. Nevertheless, for the better satisfying 
of the reader, I purpose to set down here-under 
certain authorities of the holy doctors, which 
confirm this foresaid truth. 

St. Hilary, in his fifth canon upon Matthew, 
saith, "It is God's will that we should hope 
without any doubting of his unknown will. 
For, if the belief be doubtful, there can be no 
righteousness obtained by believing."* And 
thus we see that, according to St. Hi- 
lary, a man obtaineth not forgiveness 
of his sins at God's hand, except he believe 
undoubtedly to obtain it. And good right it 
is that it should be so. " For he that doubteth 
is like a wave of the sea, which is tossed and 
turmoiled with the wind. And therefore let 
not such a one think to obtain any thing at 
God's hand/'f But let us hear St. st- AugU8 . 
Austin, who in his Manual counselleth tme - 
us to drive away the said foolish imagination, 
which intendeth to dispossess us of the foresaid 
good and sage assuredness. "Let such foolish 
imagination (saith he) murmur as much as it 
listeth, saying, Who art thou? how great is 
that glory ? by what deserts hopest thou to ob- 

[* Hilar. Op. Par. 1693. Comm. in Matt. cap. v. 6, col. 632.] 
f James i. 6, 7. 



124 Balearic. 

tain it ? I answer assuredly : I know in whom 
I have believed, and I know that he (of his 
great love) hath made me his son : I know he 
is true of his promise, and able to perform his 
word ; for he can do what he will. And, when 
I think upon the Lord's death, the multitude 
of my sins cannot dismay me ; for in his death 
do I put all my trust. His death is my whole 
desert, it is my refuge, it is my salvation, my 
life and resurrection ; and the mercy of the 
Lord is my desert. I am not poor of desert, 
so long as the Lord of mercy faileth me not. 
And, sith the mercies of the Lord are many, 
many also are my deservings. The more that 
he is of power to save, the more am I sure to 
be saved/'* The same St. Austin, talking with 
God in another place, saith that he a had de- 
spaired by reason of his great sins and infinite 
negligences, if the Word of Grod had not be- 
come flesh." And, anon after, he saith these 
words : " All my hope, all the assurance of my 
trust, is settled in his precious blood, which was 
shed for us and for our salvation. In him 
my poor heart taketh breath j and, putting my 

[* August. Op. Par. 1079-1700. Manual, cap. xxii. xxiii. torn. vi. 
Append, col. 141. This treatise, though in tho author's time usually 
attributed to Augustine, is not really the production of that 
father.] 



^aUano. 125 

whole trust in him, I long to come unto thee, 
Father, not having mine own righteousness, 
but the righteousness of thy Son Jesus Christ."* 
In these two places, St. Austin showeth plainly 
that the Christian must not be afraid, but as- 
sure himself of righteousness, by grounding 
himself not upon his own works, but upon the 
precious blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanseth 
us from all our sins, and maketh our peace with 
God. St. Bernard, in his first sermon 

, . . . , St. Bernard. 

upon the Annunciation, saitn most 
evidently that "it is not enough to believe that 
a man can have forgiveness of his sins but by 
G-od's mercy, nor any one good desire or ability 
to do so much as one good work, except God 
give it him ; no, nor that a man cannot deserve 
eternal life by his works, but if G-od give him 
the gift so to believe. But, besides all these 
things (saith St. Bernard), which ought rather 
to be counted a certain entrance and founda- 
tion of our faith, it is needful that thou believe 
also that thy sins are forgiven thee for the love 
of Jesus Christ."-}- See how this holy man con- 



[* Id. Lib. Medit. cap. xiv. torn. vi. Append, col. 112. This treat- 
ise also is not by Augnstine. Conf. Manual, cap. xiii. col. 139.] 

[t Bernard. Op. Par. 1690. In Annunt. B. Mariae Senn. i, 1, 3. 
vol. i. torn. ill. cols. 971, 972.] 

11* 



126 ilalcacto, 

fesseth that it is not enough to believe gene- 
rally the forgiveness of sins ; but he must also 
Each one believe particularly that his own sins 

must be- * J 

neve parti- are forgiven him by Jesus Christ; 

cularly ° J ' 

that his an d the reason is ready at hand, 

sins are re- ^ 

leased and namely, that, forasmuch as God hath 

forgiven 

him freely, promised thee to accept thee for 
righteous through the merits of Jesus Christ, if 
thou believe not that thou art become righteous 
through him, thou makest God a liar, and 
consequently thou makest thyself unworthy of 
his grace and liberality. 

But thou wilt say to me, I believe well 
the forgiveness of sins, and I know that God 
is true j but I am afraid that I am not worthy 
to have so great a gift. I answer, that the 
forgiveness of thy sins shall not be a gift 
or free grace, but a wages, if God should give 
it thee for the worthiness of thy works. But 
I reply upon thee, that God accepteth thee for 
righteous, and layeth not thy sin to thy charge, 
because of Christ's merits which are given unto 
thee and become thine by faith. Therefore, 
following the counsel of St. Bernard, believe 
thou not only the forgiveness of sins in gene- 
ral, but also apply the same belief to thine 
own particular person, by believing without any 



SaUarto. 127 

doubt that all thy misdoings are pardoned thee 
through Jesus Christ. And in so doing thou 
shalt give the glory unto God, by confessing 
him to be merciful and true, and shalt become 
righteous and holy before God ; forsomuch as 
by the same confession the holiness and right- 
eousness of Jesus Christ shall be communi- 
cated unto thee. 

But to return to our purpose of predesti- 
nation : I say that, by the things above men- 
tioned, a man may evidently perceive that the 
assurance of predestination doth not hurt, but 
rather greatly profit, the true Christians. And 
I think not that it can hurt the false Christians 
and reprobates. For, albeit that such manner 
of folk would bear themselves in hand, and 
pretend to the world-ward to be of the number 
of the predestinate, yet can they never persuade 
their own consciences, which will ever be gnaw- 
ing and crying out to the contrary. But yet 
it seemeth greatly, that the doctrine of pre- 
destination may hurt them. For they be wont 
to say, If I be of the number of the reprobates, 
what shall it avail me to do good works ? And, 
if I be of the number of the predestinate, I 
shall be saved, without any labouring of mine 
to do good works. I answer thee at few words, 



128 $aUarto. 

that by such devilish arguments they increase 
God's wrath against themselves; who hath dis- 
closed the knowledge of predestination to the 
Christians, to make them hot and not cold in 
the love of God, and to set them forward and 
not backward unto good works. And there- 
fore the true Christian on the one side holdeth 
himself assuredly predestinated unto everlasting 
life, and to be saved, not at all by his own 
merits, but by God's election, who hath predes- 
tinated us not for our own works' sakes, but to 
show the greatness of his mercy; and on the 
other side endeavoureth himself to do good 
works after the example of Jesus Christ, as 
much as if his salvation depended upon his 
own policy and painstaking. As for him that 
ceaseth to do good, because of the doctrine of 
predestination, saying, If I be predestinated, I 
shall be saved, without straining of myself to 
do good works; he showeth evidently that his 
travailing is not for the love of God, but for 
the love of himself. By reason whereof, the 
works that he doth may perhaps be good and 
holy to the sight of men, but they be wicked 
and abominable before the Lord God, who hath 
an eye to the intent. And hereupon it may 
be gathered, that the doctrine of predestination 



flaUatto. 129 

worketh rather good than harm to the false 
Christians. For it discovereth their hypocrisy; 
which cannot cure itself so long as it lieth 
hidden under the mantle of outward works. 
But I would have them that say, I will not 
strain myself to do well; for if I be predesti- 
nated I shall be saved without tiring of myself 
so much; I say, I would have them tell me, how 
it happeneth that, when they be diseased, they 
say not also, I will have neither physician nor 
physic; for look, what G-od had determined 
upon me cannot but come to pass. Why eat 
they? why drink they? why till they the 
ground? why plant they vines? and why be 
they so diligent in doing all things convenient 
for to sustain the body ? Why say they not, 
also, that all these turmoilings, policies, and tra- 
vails of ours are superfluous ; forasmuch as it is 
not possible but that whatsoever Grod hath fore- 
seen and determined, concerning our life and 
death, must needs come to pass? And, there- 
fore, if God's providence make them not negli- 
gent and idle in things pertaining to the body, 
why should it make them more slothful and neg- 
ligent in that which concerneth the Christian 
perfection, which without all comparison is far 
nobler than the body? But, forasmuch as we 



130 ^alearto. 

see that neither Jesus Christ, nor St. Paul, for 
any doubt of offending the reprobates, have 
forborne to preach the truth, which is necessary 
to the edifying of the chosen, for the love of 
whom the everlasting Son of G-od became man 
and was put to death upon the cross, we also in 
like wise ought not to forbear the preaching of 
predestination to the true Christians, forasmuch 
as we have seen that it importeth great edifica- 
tion. 

Now are we come to the end of our purpose, 
wherein our chief intent hath been (according 
to our small power) to magnify the wonderful 
benefit which the Christian man hath received 
by Jesus Christ crucified, and to show that 
faith of herself alone justifieth, that is to wit, 
that God receiveth and holdeth them for right- 
eous, which believe steadfastly that Christ hath 
made full amends for their sins; howbeit, that, 
as light cannot be separated from fire, which 
of itself burneth and devoureth all things, even 
so good works cannot be separated from faith, 
which alone by itself justifieth. 

And this holy doctrine (which exalteth Jesus 
Christ, and represseth and abateth the pride 
of man) hath and always shall be rejected and 
fought against by such Christians as have 



^alearto. 



131 



Jewish minds. But happy is he who, follow- 
ing the example of St. Paul, spoileth himself 
of his own righteousness, and would have none 
other righteousness than that which is of Jesus 
Christ, wherewith if he be clothed and ap- 
parelled, he may most assuredly appear before 
God, and shall receive his blessing and the 
heritage of heaven and earth, with his only Son 
Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom be all honour, 
praise, and glory, from this time forth for ever- 
more. — Amen. 

€t)tist is i\)c (£nb of the £ato. 



Jan. 23 18m. 



7-C ! > 



